


No Exit

by biaswreckingfics



Series: No Exit [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Feels, Brother-Sister Relationships, Complete, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Female Characters, Female Protagonist, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mafia EXO (EXO), Male-Female Friendship, Minor Character Death, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, POV Multiple, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, POV Second Person, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Series, Serious Injuries, Siblings, Strong Female Characters, Team as Family, The Author Regrets Nothing, Wordcount: 50.000-100.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:02:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 77,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28209498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biaswreckingfics/pseuds/biaswreckingfics
Summary: All you wanted to do was go home and go to sleep, but when you get caught in between two rival mafia groups, chances are slim that you go home at all, and falling into their world may just get you killed.
Series: No Exit [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066445
Kudos: 5





	1. Part 1

You flipped through the radio stations in disgust. Commercial. Commercial. Overrated song played 20 times a day. Ugh, you sigh, putting your hands back on the wheel. You just wanted to find a nice, soothing song after the 12-hour hell shift you pulled at the café. The entire day had been brutal. The new guy at work had messed up three orders in a row, and your boss decided you were the one who should be punished for it. Then, the new kid had ended up spilling scalding hot coffee on your polo, nearly burning the crap out of you. Lastly, to top it all off, you were yelled at by two different customers for something you had no control over. To say the least, you had hit your limit and were beyond ready to be home. A bubble bath and your fluffy bed were calling out your name and would be in reach in about 15 minutes.

After driving through the last intersection that you deemed “safe”, your eyes immediately begin tracking everything outside of the car. The area you lived in defined the word sketchy, but it was all you could afford. Being a full-time college student and working two part-time jobs was not a money maker. The neighborhood was known for drugs and prostitution and was definitely not safe to be in at night. In fact, you avoided being out at night the best you could. Glancing at the clock, you see it’s 12:07am, and you begin cursing your boss all over again. This was why you despised working late shifts, but your boss didn’t give a crap about where you lived. He certainly wasn’t going to be the one that stayed at work that late.

Looking in your rear-view mirror, you see the dark SUV that had turned behind you two intersections ago crossover into “Hell’s Mile” with you. Turn back now bud, before you find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be, you think to yourself. It was only a few seconds before the vehicle sped up behind you, almost like they were in a hurry to get through this stretch of road. However, you were already going five miles over the speed limit, and you refused to go any faster. God forbid you pop a tire on these pothole littered streets and end up stranded out here. No freaking way.

It took you about five minutes to go from being irritated that the person was riding your ass to afraid for the same reason. Heart beginning to pound in your chest, you realize this person should’ve turned somewhere by now. They’ve been behind you for way too long, and you knew most of the cars in this area. The one behind you was not one you recognized. You turn your attention back to the road and try to calm down. Maybe you’re just being paranoid. Why on Earth would someone be following you?

As you neared a bend in the road, the SUV slowed slightly and put about 10 feet between each of your vehicles. You allowed yourself to breathe for a moment and tried to go back to a less panicked and more logical way of thinking. You are going to be fine. You knew the basics of what to do if someone followed you. Remain calm, drive to a police station, hospital, or somewhere brightly lit and well-populated, and never, ever go home. Mentally pulling up a map, you knew the police station and hospital were across town, so you would have to find a place and make do.

As you drive around the curve, you glance back up into the rear-view mirror. Still there. Still keeping pace with you. Wait… What is that? You squint your eyes towards their passenger window. Something was reflecting off each streetlight you passed, but the streetlights were so few and far between, you couldn’t tell what it was. You lean back into your seat and try to bring your attention back to the road and the curve, and that’s when you hear three loud pops.

Immediately losing control of your vehicle, your small car started spinning towards the side of the road. You brace yourself, knowing whatever was going to happen next would be bad… You feel, rather than see, your car hit the curb, and then it begins to roll. Through your fear, you feel glass flying in at you from the windows, cutting you up, and at some point, your head bashed into the steering wheel so hard, it felt like you had hit a cement wall.

Once your car stops rolling and settles into a stationary position, you give yourself a few seconds to get your bearings under you. You felt sick to your stomach, and you knew you were hurt, but you couldn’t tell how badly. Your arms were covered in cuts and blood, and when you looked into your dangling rear-view mirror, you saw a massive gash on your forehead, pumping blood down your face. What the fuck just happened? Those three loud pops had to be gunshots… Had that car shot out your tires?...

You sit still for a second, trying to wrap your mind around that happening to you. Then, a coldness washed over you. If they shot out your tires, there was a reason for it, and you needed to get out of here before you found out what that reason was.

By some miracle, your car had landed right side up, so you could see outside of the car. About 30 yards in front of you was an office building with a for sale sign in front of it. You had to get to that building before whoever it was came back. Maybe you could find a hideout until help comes… if help was even coming. You undo your seat belt, thanking every god you could think of that it wasn’t jammed, and reach for your door handle, pulling it a few times. When it refuses to open, you give up and crawl out through your broken window, cutting up your back and legs more on the leftover glass. That didn’t stop you though, you couldn’t even feel the cuts over your panic of getting to safety.

As soon as you clear the car, you begin running towards the building, stupidly not even looking behind you. You were too afraid you’d see the SUV waiting for you. Turning the corner of the building, you run straight into a man’s chest.

You look up at his shocked expression and hear yourself say, “Please, help me…”

Lay’s POV

Chen had just said that the pricks would be coming around the corner any minute. The four males with him all brought their guns up, ready to take these bastards out. From behind him, Suho told him to get a better vantage point, so Lay edged closer to the corner to search for the black SUV. Just when he was about to peek around it, a smaller body ran directly into him, effectively scaring the shit out of him.

It was a female, and she was covered in blood. She looked like she had just walked off the set of a horror movie. Good god, what had happened to her?... She looked up at him with a terrified look on her face and pleaded for help.

Your POV

You looked up at the man in front of you, who seemed frozen at your sudden appearance.

“Please, someone just shot out - ”

As you were talking, your eyes trailed down to the man’s hands and the giant gun that was being held by them. You quickly look back up at him and finally notice more men behind him, with more guns. Any relief you felt rapidly fades away, and you begin backing up.

“I don’t know what you want, but please don’t hurt me…”

To the right, the tallest one of the group quickly raises his gun and points it directly at your head. “This is a trap. It has to be. She’s probably one of their whores. Let’s just kill her now.”

“Saja, wait.”

Surprise went through the four men's faces, and they all looked at the man who had just spoken with odd expressions. If you had to guess, this man was in charge of whatever the fuck this was. He begins to walk towards you, and you back up with every step he takes until you hit the wall of the building. He follows your steps until he stands directly in front of you.

“We’re not gonna hurt you if you don’t give us a reason to.”

“We’re not?” You hear one of the men ask in confusion, but you were too stuck on his words to really think about what he said.

“A reason to?! You just shot out my fucking tires!” You stupidly shout at him. Your brain was screaming at you to stay quiet, but your mouth wasn’t listening. You were too afraid.

From your left, the one you ran into, calmly says, “That wasn’t us.”

“Oh, okay, so there are more guys running around with guns? Fantastic.”

What in the hell is wrong with you? Why are you talking back? Shut up! You mentally yell at yourself.

“She’s starting to give us a reason. She’s annoying and has a mouth.” The one who immediately suggested to kill you grunts.

Before anyone could respond, the sound of screeching tires comes from around the corner of the building. You all look over to the road, and your stomach knots itself. It was them. The SUV that had shot out your tires. They found you. Before you had a chance to react, there were popping sounds from all around you. Three males from the vehicle were hanging out of the windows, shooting at the men around you, and the men were meeting them shot for shot. Holy shit, you were in the middle of a shoot out!

The shots were so loud, it was causing your ears to ring, and there was a high-pitched sound that you couldn’t place. One of the men by you pushes you towards the wall and yells, “Stop fucking screaming!”, and that was when you realize you were the source of that high-pitched sound. You needed to get out of here, but what the hell were you supposed to do? You begin searching for a place to take cover, and when you look to your right, you see the door to the building that you were standing next to. That was your best shot at safety from flying bullets.

Taking a chance, you run out from behind the man you had run into and put everything you had into running for that door. 10 feet. 5 feet. You were almost there...

A loud cry tore out of you as you felt a burning hot pain in your thigh, and you went down to the ground before you could even catch yourself. Through the pain, you force yourself to roll over onto your back, and once you do, you let out a sob. Steeling yourself, you look down at your left thigh and curse as a red smear begins spreading on your blue jeans from the new hole in your leg.

Dear god, you’ve just been shot, and the pain was worse than you could ever imagine. Biting your lip for some kind of relief, you lay your head onto the gravel below you and try to pull yourself together. You were far from safe. Gunshots still rang out from around you, and you knew you needed to continue with your plan. Craning your neck up, you see you’re only a couple of feet away from the door that was now behind you. You could make that. You could totally make that.

Moving to sit up, you begin pulling yourself to the door, but immediately stop when your leg begins screaming in pain. Fuck! You risk a glance back down at your thigh and notice your blood pooling below you. Oh man, that’s a lot of blood. More than you expected actually…

You begin pulling yourself more, panic fueling you. You refused to die outside, in the middle of a shootout, surrounded by a bunch of psychos. Refused. You only made it a few more inches before lightheadedness took over. Then, nothing.

Suho’s POV

He threw his gun onto the ground, not giving a fuck if one of his men got shot. He watched the SUV speed away, and he knew anger was radiating off him. Those bastards got away. Again. If that stupid girl hadn’t distracted him, he would’ve finally gotten them. Who the fuck was she anyway?

He turns back and spots you about 15 feet away from him, passed out on the ground. Walking over to you, he catches sight of the puddle of blood, and with the way Lay was kneeling over you, he knew you had been shot. He sighs, annoyed at the entire situation. Feeling the other men come up behind him, he focuses on Lay.

“How bad is it?”

“She’s lost a lot of blood. The bullet is extremely close to her femoral artery, and if we don’t treat it quickly, she’s gone.” The medic answered him.

“Good, then we don’t have to get rid of her ourselves. We can just leave her here.”

Suho doesn’t respond to Saja’s comment; instead, he continues to watch as Lay takes off his belt and tightly wraps it around your thigh to cut off blood flow. Saja was absolutely correct. They should just leave you there and let you die. Keeps their hands clean and saves them the trouble of getting rid of you. However, Suho needed to know if you were working with them. If they just happened to have one of their enemies’ women, that would give them a huge advantage. On the other hand, if you were completely innocent and knew nothing about them, then you’ve seen too much, and you needed to be dealt with. He rubs a hand down his tired face before deciding.

“Put her in the van.”

“We’re taking her with us?” Chen asks him with surprise.

“I want to know who the fuck she is and how she ended up in this mess.”

Your POV

You slowly open your eyes and blink at the unfamiliar ceiling a few times. Mentally checking over your body, you feel like complete and utter shit. You look around the cold room, and notice men… everywhere… 1, 2, 3, 4… good grief, how many were there? 9? An unsettling feeling falls on you, as they all creepily stare at you. Recognizing a few of them from earlier, you lock eyes with the one you assumed was the leader.

“Well, well, look who decided to finally join us?”

A short man to his right glares at you through thick eyebrows. “Who are you?”

You blink a couple more times, trying to clear your head. “Where am I?”

Another man on the shorter side scoffs. “You don’t get to ask the questions here. Who the fuck are you?”

You ignore him and attempt to sit up, immediately feeling dizzy and nauseous.

The guy you ran into earlier takes a step toward you and says, “You shouldn’t do that yet.”

You question why, and then everything that had happened slammed back into you. “Holy shit, I was shot...”

The one with thick eyebrows rolls his eyes, his voice dropping into a deep growl. “Yeah, join the club. Now, I’m really not gonna ask again.”

The statement he makes forces the reality of the situation to smash into you. Terror momentarily spreads through your body as you look at each of the men. Unfortunately for you, you were stubborn, and you despised being bossed around, so laced with that terror was irritation. There was no way in hell you were telling these people your name.

“I would tell the truth by the way. We’ll know if you’re lying.” Thick eyebrows sidekick chimes in, a little smirk growing on his face.

At his words, you knew they were testing you. If they knew you were lying, then they already knew who you were.

His smirk turned into a full-blown grin when you didn’t answer. “Okay, Nari, here’s how we’re gonna play it. You’re gonna tell us everything you know about the Baem, and maybe we’ll let you live.”

You flinch at your adopted name. He had said Nari and not your real name. You mentally sigh with relief. They didn’t know who you really were. They knew of one of your fake names, and that was it. Then confusion filled you. Baem? Is that what he said?

“The who? And how do you know who I am?” You play along with the name, not wanting them to dig any deeper into your background.

The leader stalks over to you, anger rolling off him. “What were you doing out there? We’re you a distraction?”

Surprise joined your confusion as you pieced together what had happened. If these guys thought you had been there to distract them, then they couldn’t be related to the ones that ran you off the road… Which actually should be obvious to you, since they fucking shot at each other. Clearly, your mind was still somewhere in your abandoned, crashed car.

“Hello. I asked you a question.”

“No…” You quietly say, lost in your own thoughts.

“Hey.” He snaps, pulling your attention back to him. “What were you doing out there?”

“I was driving home and noticed a car following me. Then, I heard a couple of pops, and my car crashed. I was looking for help.”

You didn’t hear who and you couldn’t find the owner of the voice, but you heard a “that’s convenient” from the back. Before you could stop yourself, you laugh.

“Unreal. You people are fucking insane.”

The sidekick who named you, smirks at you in a way that makes you want to scrub your body clean. Twice. “I think you’ll find out just how insane we are.”

You meet his stare, not willing to be the first one to break. You have been through too much bullshit in your life to show a group of thugs you were weak. He smiles at the challenge, determination setting in his eyes, before the leader clears his throat, apparently signaling to the others that it was time to go. You look at the leader and watch as he and the group of men walk out of the door, leaving you alone.

You look down at your body, which was strapped in various places to some type of hospital bed. The only part of your body that you could really move was your head. Looking past the straps, your eyes catch on the blue fabric covering your body. Someone had… changed your clothes and put you into something resembling a hospital gown.

Not willing to let yourself think about that, you sigh and survey the room. Almost directly across from you was the door leading upstairs, and that was the only exit you could see. There wasn’t even a window, which told you that you were probably underground. There were various metal cabinets and a metal cooler with what looked like blood bags in it. What the fuck have I gotten myself into, you question.

Continuing with your search, you look to the right of you and see three more beds, identical to the one you were in. You turn to the left of you and freeze. There was a tray table with surgical instruments on top of it, and they were covered in blood. You quickly look back down at your body. Was that yours? It had to be yours. Nobody else was down here.

“We had to get the bullet out.”

You let out a startled scream, and if you hadn’t been strapped to the bed, you probably would’ve been on your ass. You strain your neck to look up at the head of the bed and see a man looking down at you with raised eyebrows.

“Did you think you were alone?” He questions you.

Obviously, you mentally snark, but you stay quiet and nod. The man was sitting quietly on a stool, observing you. His dark hair was slightly parted and tousled over this forehead, and his face held an air of mischievousness mixed with… kindness? But that didn’t make any sense. You doubted these people even knew what kindness was.

“Who are you people, and why are you keeping me here?”

He continues to stare at you before standing up and completely ignoring your question. “You were shot in the thigh. The bullet hit close to an artery, but you’re either a fighter or stubborn because you somehow made it back here. Along with that, you have a concussion and a broken arm, among your various other cuts.”

The concussion and cuts you knew, but you definitely didn’t remember breaking your arm. You look down at your arms that were covered with a blanket and back up at the man. “A broken arm? How?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “From the accident would be my guess. You probably had enough adrenaline rushing in you that you didn’t even notice.”

You lay there, silently taking it all in. This was some sort of mob or something, not just a group of street thugs. These were guys who were shooting at people and obviously were medically trained. They had their own medical facility for crying out loud. You had a feeling they knew how to make you disappear, and who knew if they would ever let you go. You knew what they looked like, so you had a feeling the odds were not in your favor. You might never make it out of this.

Tears started soundlessly falling down your cheeks. You were scared. Terrified. You look up at the man and decide to ask him again. You really didn’t have much to lose.

“Why am I here?”

He sighs, taking pity on you. “If you cooperate, you’re going to be fine. A word of advice though, talking back is only going to make everything worse and piss us off, and you don’t want to see us pissed off.”

No doubt. “I honestly don’t know who those guys were. I was just driving home from work when they started to follow me…”

“Why? He questions.

You pause. That… was a really good question, and it was one you hadn’t even allowed yourself to think yet. Why were they after you? You were just a barista at a café. Nothing and no one special. At least, not anymore.

You meet his eyes. “I have no idea…”

He lets out a “hmm” and walks towards the door, getting ready to leave. You begin to panic. Who knew how long they planned to keep you down here.

“Wait! You’re just gonna leave me here?!”

He doesn’t even stop or look back at you. You just hear a “yep” and helplessly watch as he opens the door to the stairs. You lay your head back down and look up at the ceiling. Great. What the hell were you going to do?


	2. Part 2

It could’ve been hours. It could’ve been days. Without any windows or clocks in your sight, you had no sense of time passing. You had fallen asleep a couple of times out of pure exhaustion, your body using up all its energy trying to heal itself. You had just begun to count the ceiling tiles for the fourth time when two men walked into the room.

You recognized them both from your first encounter with them. One of the men was the one you had dubbed the “leader”. He gave off an air of superiority, and you recalled him being in charge before the shooting. He also was the only one that had worn a dress shirt and slacks every single time you saw him. The second man was the one who had called you by your adopted name, Nari. He seemed annoyed by your existence, and if this were any other reality, you’d let him know you were just as annoyed by his. Except this wasn’t an alternate universe, and you were, unfortunately, completely at their mercy, so you stayed silent.

You maintain eye contact with the leader as he walks up to you, a perfectly blank expression on his face.

“Let’s cut the bullshit and be honest with each other. Are you connected to the Baem?”

“I already told you. I have no idea who that is.”

A loud scoff was let out in response, which causes a little irritation and a lot of panic to course through you. The men clearly didn’t believe a word that came out of your mouth, and that would only end badly for you.

“I’m not lying to you! I swear.”

The second man walks closer to the bed you were strapped to, pulling your attention towards him. “How come you don’t have a history?”

“I… what?” You ask, confused by the question and the abrupt topic change.

“You have no background from before you were in the foster home. Why?” He accusingly barks, his sharp cheekbones casting shadows on his face.

“I didn’t know that I didn’t…?” Hearing that your background had been erased surprised you… You had a couple of guesses why, but you weren’t willing to share with the class. How did they even know that you didn’t have a past? Were they that well connected? “How do you know?”

“You’d be surprised about what I know.” He responds with a smirk.

The leader, who was quietly watching the exchange, eyes you suspiciously. “You paused.”

“What?”

“When he asked you, you paused… You’re hiding something, and if I were you, I would fess up.”

Shit. He was sharp. Why did you keep underestimating these guys? This is real deal shit here, and you’re acting like it’s not. You have to be more careful.

“I was just gonna say maybe it’s because I was in a really bad foster home? I don’t know, they could’ve lost my records or something…”

Both men stare at you silently, clearly thinking you were lying through your teeth. Which you were, at least a tiny bit, but you were going to do what you had to do to survive and make it out of this, and if they ever found out who you really were, you would probably be dead on the spot.

The short, ruder male broke the silence.

“That’s an awful fucking excuse.”

“I don’t know! I don’t know why I don’t have a background!”

The leader sighs. “Well, until you can figure out why the Baem are after you, if they even are, you’ll be staying here, under our watchful eye.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

He scrunches his eyebrows at your question. “Did I make it sound like you had a choice? I don’t give a fuck what you want right now. You’re not going anywhere until we figure out who you really are.”

The door to the stairs swings open, and you look over to see the man you had run into walk into the room, first looking at you and then at the leader for direction. The leader acknowledged him and then said, “Take her to her room and then meet us downstairs.”

As the man nodded, all you could think about was the fact that they set up a room for you. How long did they plan on keeping you here? Also, why weren’t they putting you in a cell or something? Surely, they had those somewhere around here…

Although, maybe your new room would give you better odds of getting out of here… Unless they strapped you to that bed as well.

You watch the leader and his sidekick leave and observe the one who comes closer to you. This man seemed like the safest out of all of them. He had a kinder face, and he had been the only one to slightly be polite to you, so you let yourself relax just a tiny bit.

You silently watch as he undoes the straps that are securing you to the bed. His long fingers working quickly and efficiently.

“If you try anything, I will not hesitate to take you down and strap you right back to this bed.”

Your eyes jump back up to his face at his tone. Maybe you were a bad judge of character…

You stay quiet as he finishes undoing your restraints. When he was done, he held out his hands for you to take, but all you could do was stare at them like they were some type of alien hands.

“You’re more than welcome to attempt to walk by yourself, but I have a feeling you won’t get too far with that leg.”

God damn that leg, you mentally snark. Knowing he’s right, you put your hands in his and allow him to pull you up straight. His hands were softer than you thought they would be for a mafia man. You expected calloused, hard hands for some reason.

“This will probably be the shittiest part, so slowly put pressure down on your leg.”

Following his advice, you slowly stand up with his help. It fucking hurt, but it was nowhere near as bad as the getting shot part. Once you were standing, you figured you’d be okay, so you let go of his hands, but that first step nearly had you on the floor. The man quickly grabbed you under your arms and held you steady.

The move confused you, and you couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you being so helpful?”

“I can let you go and have you crawl the rest of the way, but that would take too long, and I have other things to attend to. Besides, this is part of my job. I’m the medic here, and technically right now, you’re my patient.”

You attempt to start walking again, mulling over his words. “So, you’re the reason I’m still breathing?”

“I’ll let you decide if you want me to apologize later or not.”

His ominous words reminded you that they still thought you were possibly their enemy, and maybe they were yours as well. You shut up and let him guide you up the stairs to what you guessed was the main hall. From what you could see, and it wasn’t much, the place was massive. It looked like some sort of house or maybe an old boarding school. The inside was decorated with nice antiques, but it was all drowned in an overwhelmingly creepy vibe.

The man led you down a short hallway that left you breathing heavily, and then stopped in front of another set of stairs. You have got to be joking. Again? You barely made it up the stairs the first freaking time.

“More stairs?”

“Harder for you to escape when there are stairs.” He replies, eyes glancing down to your thigh, and it takes everything in your power not to roll your eyes.

Damn gunshot wound. Damn gangbangers. And damn your boss while you’re at it. If he would’ve just let you out on time… you stop the rant in your head and take a deep breath. Whatever. Stairs first, bitch everyone out later.

Once you struggle to the top of the stairs, you’re exhausted, in pain, and cranky as hell, and all of that was before he made you limp to the door furthest down the hall. By the time you reached that door, you wanted to punch him dead in his face.

You lean against the wall, completely out of breath, and watch as he unlocks the door and pushes it open. He sweeps his hand in an “after you” gesture, so you push yourself off the wall and take a step into the room. It’s a decent size room, not too big, but it had enough room for you to move around in.

“Everything you need should be in here. However, if you need anything else, let me know. I’m probably your safest bet. There are some clothes that were picked up for you in the top drawer of the dresser. They should fit you because we matched the sizes to your old clothes.” He finishes. You expect him to leave, but he awkwardly stands there like he wasn’t sure if he should go or not. Maybe this was the first time he’s done this? Maybe he’s new? Or maybe they just didn’t have “guests” very often.

“Um, thank you…”

He nods and turns to leave, but for some reason you couldn’t name, you stop him.

“Wait.”

He freezes at your words and turns back towards you with a questioning look on his face.

“What should I… um, what should I call you…?”

His eyebrows jump slightly, your question surprising him. Then, gradually, a slight smile grows on his face. A weird shock goes through you. He was the first person to smile at you, without cockiness or evil intent laced into it.

“You can call me Lay.”

Lay. Obviously, it was some type of code name, but it didn’t matter much to you. For some reason, having something to call him made you feel slightly better.

“Thank you, Lay.”

He nods again and walks out of the room, shutting the door with a final click. You give it 60 seconds before awkwardly making your way to the door. You had seen him unlock it to get in, but maybe today would be your lucky day… You reach for the doorknob and jiggle it, completely unsurprised when you confirm it’s locked.

You sigh and look at the door again. Bringing up your right hand, you run it along the smooth surface of the door frame, taking note of the sturdy, thick wood. Breaking that was out of the question. You turn and face the room, eyes locking on the window across from you. Limping over to it, you look out at the landscape. You were higher up than you imagined, although, with the number of stairs you just climbed, you shouldn’t be surprised.

That wasn’t the only thing you noticed as you got closer to the window though, you also noticed that it was nailed and painted shut. Sighing for the 800th time, you lean your head against the glass and peer outside. Nothing but a whole lot of trees. They did have a small cement patio directly below your window, but it was completely void of furniture.

Knowing you weren’t getting out of this room unless it was on their terms, you walk back over to the full-size bed and plop down on it. Well, crap. Now what, you wonder. Glancing around the nearly empty room, you hoped they didn’t keep you in here for long. The plain white walls and lack of furniture made you feel like you were locked in a very white box. The only color in the room came from the blue blankets on your bed. Everything else was white. The bed frame, the dresser, your pillows. White.

You lean back onto the bed and try to think everything through. You had no idea how long you’ve been gone. Was anyone even looking for you? Probably not. You were a loner. A nomad. There was nobody from your past that you kept in touch with, and you had no family or friends. You doubted anyone really knew you were gone.

Depressing yourself, you consider your situation. There were two different groups of men. The group you were currently with and the Baem. The snakes. Both groups were obviously into bad shit, and at least one of them wanted to kill you. But why?

You didn’t really know… though it could be… No. You wouldn’t allow yourself to think about the past, and you were not going to let your past ruin your present any more than it already has. Besides, why would they want you? Everything from that part of your life had happened over a decade ago.

So that left you with a group that wanted you dead and another holding you hostage because they thought you were working for the first group. Ah hell.

You unconsciously reach for the necklace you always wore and pull it out from under the hospital gown. The warm, silver pendent calming you slightly. It was your most cherished possession and the only thing that linked you to your past. It had the English initial for your last name, a beautiful K, and it was dainty enough that you were able to tuck it into your shirt and leave it hidden.

Speaking of shirts… You sit up and look over at the dresser, wondering what kind of clothes they got you, and who exactly was the one that got them for you. Standing up, you walk over to the dresser and pull open the first drawer. Your eyes were met with a neatly folded stack of shirts right next to a folded stack of jeans. You look through the shirts, seeing basic neutral colors, and grab a black shirt and some blue jeans. Peeking at the tag, you see that whoever bought them had gotten the correct sizes.

You awkwardly changed, which was a trip when your arm was in a cast and your leg was bandaged up, but you managed to do it. Then, you laid in the bed for hours, watching the sun travel across the sky through your window. No sounds traveled through the walls, and there was nothing to occupy yourself with while you waited. There was only silence, so when you heard a knock on your door, you nearly jumped out of your skin.

You turn to face the door and wait while the person unlocks it and comes in. You tense up, bracing yourself for whoever was coming into the room, but you slightly relax when you see it’s Lay.

“Are you hungry?”

Your stomach immediately grumbles in response, causing both of you to look down at it. When was the last time you even ate…? You honestly couldn’t remember.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I know you haven’t eaten since you’ve been here.”

“How long has that been exactly?” You question.

“Almost three days now.”

Three days… so you must’ve been out for a little over two days… Your stomach growls again now that it has been reminded of food. You look up at Lay, slightly embarrassed, but then you stop yourself. Who gives a fuck what any of them think?

“Yeah, I’m hungry.”

He silently walks over to the bed and holds out a hand for you to take. You suspiciously stare at the hand, and the man in front of you, not making a move. He was always so willing to help you. It seemed at odds with what he did for a living.

“We’re going downstairs. Just figured I’d help you.”

Lay’s POV

You stare at his hand for a few more seconds before gingerly placing your hand in his. You allowed him to support you and help you walk down the hallway, which made Lay feel slightly better. He had been trying to be patient and kind with you ever since you came back with them, but you still looked like you were going to jump out of your skin whenever he came near you, and rightfully so.

You were smart not to trust any of them and to be wary of them. It showed you had survival instincts and fight in you, which were probably the only things that were going to help you get through all of this.

Lay knew what you were going through. He had been through it himself, and he empathized with you. He knew exactly what it was like to be held against your will by these types of people, and he could understand what your thought process was.

That is if you really are innocent in all of this. If you were working for the Baem, then he had no sympathy for you. You deserved everything that was going to happen to you for working with them. They were a vile group, and they were EXO’s number one enemy.

However, Lay didn’t think you were working with them. Your actions and responses showed him that you didn’t really know who they were, and if you did, you deserved an Oscar for acting. Actually, he had been really surprised when you had asked for his name. A part of him had wondered if you were gathering intel at first, but then he remembered he had done the same when he was in your position. It gave him comfort for some reason, and he hoped it would do the same for you.

“You know, you’re oddly helpful and polite to someone that you’re holding hostage.” You say, looking at him out of the corner of your eye.

“We haven’t decided if you’re the enemy or not, and if you’re not, I’d regret treating you like shit.”

“Would you?”

A spark of irritation went through him, but he let it go. “I’ll let you continue to pretend you know everything about me.”

Your POV

Lay was silent for the rest of the walk, and you almost started to feel bad. He has been the nicest person to you, but you couldn’t let yourself be fooled by their charms.

Once you got to, what appeared to be, the kitchen doorway, Lay leans down and quietly says, “Prepare yourself”, before walking you into one of the biggest kitchens you’ve ever seen. One half of the kitchen held white, marble counters, stainless steel appliances, and an island, while the other half was home to a long, wooden table. The table was set for ten, and it currently seated eight. You stared with wide eyes at the men. They wanted you to have dinner with them?!

“Please, sit down,” Lay tells you, motioning towards some chairs.

Please, get me out of this freaking room, you think back. Looking at the two open seats that were, thankfully, next to each other, you observed who was in the neighboring seats. Your option was the male who had talked to you while you were in their medical room, and had also informed you about your injuries, or the one who wanted to put a bullet in your head the day of the shooting and who was currently glaring at you. Duh, this was a no brainer.

You quickly walk over to the first male and sit down. Relief flows through you when Lay sits on your other side, blocking your view of the glaring male. However, that relief is short-lived when you hear him growl something.

“She’s eating with us?”

“She has to eat.” The leader says, digging into his plate.

“Actually, a person can go a couple of weeks without eating, she’d be fine.”

You look over at the male who had just spoken. It was the one you had nicknamed “thick eyebrows”. He sat there, with his other short buddy who had figured out your adopted name, glaring at you through squinted eyes. His friend then decided to speak up.

“Could’ve just pushed a tray under her door or something.”

“Where would be the fun in that? Personally, I’d love to watch her eat.”

Your gaze snaps over to the man sitting across from you at his perverted comment. When you meet his eyes, he winks at you, his full lips pulling into a smirk. He was devilishly good looking, and he knew it too. 

“Enough.” The leader says, causing the male to roll his eyes.

You look down as Lay puts a plate of food in front of you.

“Eat.” He says as he sits back down in his seat. You hadn’t even noticed him stand up to get you food, and that was dangerous. It just proved to you that these men were good at distracting and manipulating, and you needed to be more observant.

You stare at the delicious-looking meal in front of you and your mouth begins to water. Rice, chicken, vegetables… oh my god. It took everything in you to not shovel it into your mouth. For all you knew, someone could’ve snuck rat poison inside of it or something.

“Nobody touched your food, so eat.” Lay lightly scolds you.

“That would be a boring death.” The glaring male on his left says.

“Agreed. I’ve already thought of 13 more exciting ways for you to go since you sat down.” A male says.

The leader slams his hand down onto the table, causing you to jump.

“I’ve already said it once, do not make me say it again.” His eyes look around the table, meeting every gaze, before landing on yours. “You’re fine, Nari. We haven’t gotten what we wanted from you yet. You can eat.”

Yeah, that sounds really comforting, you mentally respond. Before you could move a muscle, the male to your right leans over and sticks his fork in your rice. You watch him in curious fascination as he brings the utensil to his mouth and sticks the food in. He must really trust his buddies to not question their actions.

He waits a minute and then meets your eyes. “It’s fine, go ahead.”

Baek’s POV

Baek watches as you look down at your plate and then pick up your fork. You slowly begin eating, and he can see the moment your hunger takes over. You didn’t even question anything at that point, just started to eat faster.

Why the fuck did he just test your food like that? He loved his brothers, but he wouldn’t put it past them to stick something in it. Apparently, he just had to hope that one of them would’ve stopped him if they did anything to it.

Baek goes back to his plate but continues to watch you out of the corner of his eye. You were an odd one, and he knew it almost the moment he had laid eyes on you. You obviously had secrets and things that you didn’t want them to know, but as long as you were being honest about the Baem, Baek didn’t care.

At first, he thought for sure you were lying about not working with them. After Lay and he had stitched you up, Baek was tasked with changing you out of your bloody clothes. With as much dignity as he could give you, he changed you into a hospital gown, but not before he discovered one of your secrets.

In random spots, all over your body, you had scars. When he got closer to them, he realized that some were burn marks and some were cuts from prior injuries. You had clearly been abused at some point in your life, and for a moment, he allowed himself to think maybe you were one of the Baem’s whores.

As he watched you, over the very limited interactions he’s had with you, he ended up dismissing the idea. You carried yourself differently than any other girl he’s seen in this lifestyle. You had strength, courage, and fight in you, and he could definitely respect that. That’s why he was almost positive that you had nothing to do with them. Their other girls didn’t have those characteristics.

He hadn’t shared his thoughts with anyone other than Lay, and he knew the older male agreed with him. He just hoped like hell that you didn’t prove him wrong.

Your POV

Throughout the entire dinner, you felt awkward and uncomfortable. You could feel everyone’s eyes on you, but no one had said a word. The only sounds made were from clanking dishes and some chewing going on around you. It was uncomfortable enough that you had wanted to go back to your locked room, and you were about to do that soon, hopefully.

Just as you finished your last bite, the leader spoke up.

“Before you go back to your room, let’s chat.”

You nod and watch as he folds his hands in front of his face and lays his chin on them. The move seemed cocky and calculating, but at the same time, it made him look younger, more boyish. He stared at you, taking in your body language before speaking.

“Who are you, really?”

You didn’t know what to say exactly, because you didn’t know what they were looking for, but you were damn tired of that question. “My name is Nari. I’m a barista at a café – “

“This isn’t a dating profile. Tell us who you are.” Thick eyebrows interrupts you.

“I’m trying. I don’t know what exactly you guys want to know…”

The leader blinks once and then says, “Continue, please.”

You sigh. “I was put in a foster home when I was 14. I don’t remember much of my life before that. I don’t know if I blocked it out, or what… My foster family hated me, but I don’t think they worked for the mafia, and I certainly don’t think they’d waste their time having me killed.”

The men were quiet for a moment, considering your words, and then one began to speak. He wasn’t one you’ve ever heard talk before, and you found him and his cat-like eyes alluring.

“So, you don’t know who those guys were or why they were after you?”

“I honestly don’t. I was driving home from work and noticed them on my ass. At first, I thought they were trying to get through the neighborhood quickly, but then I heard the gunshots. After the crash, I got out of the vehicle, and ran towards the building looking for help, or a place to hide.”

“And you found us…” Lay says softly.

“How unfortunate for you.” One of the rude ones say.

You take a breath and look around the table at the men, meeting their stares bravely. “Who are you?”

“So, you don’t even know who we are?” The one with full lips asks you. When you shake your head, he says, “That’s disappointing.”

The one who seemed to hate you the most, the one sitting next to Lay, leans forward meeting your eyes. “I think you’re full of shit.”

Thick eyebrows decides to chime in. “I second that. Honestly, this is a waste of fucking time. We should dispose of her and focus on the Baem.”

The leader hmms at his words and then looks around. “What about everyone else?”

The conversation that was starting right before your eyes, was something you did not want to witness. The one dude just said they should dispose of you for fucks sake. You didn’t want to hear them overwhelmingly agree that they were done with you. You were terrified to find out what came after they got the answers they were looking for.

A tapping sound pulled you out of your panicked thoughts and you look around for its source. The man who was sitting next to you was tapping his finger on his glass with a thoughtful look on his face. The tapping continues for a few more seconds before he stops and looks over at the leader.

“I think she’s telling the truth.”

Your heart fluttered at his words. Holy crap, he believed you. One of them actually believed you.

From your peripheral vision, you see Lay nod his head in agreeance with the other man, and you let go of the breath you didn’t realize you had been holding.

The leader raised his eyebrows at the four that didn’t answer, causing one to look at you. His fluffy hair and big ears made him look like the farthest thing from a gangster, and the vibe he gave off was far from threatening. The two of you stare at each other before he turns back to the leader.

“I agree with Baek.”

Baek? Who was that? Was that the man sitting next to you? Or one of the ones who thought you were lying? You heard a scoff come from the glaring man next to Lay and watched as Lay lightly lifted the corner of his mouth. So, it was the man next to you… The one who had eaten your rice.

The leader sighs, catching your attention again. He brings his hands up to his head and rubs his temples. You knew he was trying to come up with the best decision he could, and you could almost respect that. If it wasn’t about deciding to kill you and all.

Suho’s POV

Sometimes being the leader was a giant pain in the ass. There was always someone pissed off about something, and things that couldn’t be agreed on. Most of the time, he didn’t care. It was little unimportant things, but when it came to big things like this? Things that could affect the lives of his men? Then he cared too much.

You were one of those things, and he had no idea what to do about you.

Saja and D.O., and he was pretty sure Chen, were dead set on their stance of you needing to be taken care of. You were a liability and a potential threat. Something that they didn’t need in their lives.

On the other side was Lay, who believed that you were innocent.

Suho was sure Lay was only feeling that way because of his history, but now that Baek and even Loey were siding with him… It was, quite literally, a house divided.

He looked between Kai and Xiumin, noticing their lack of expressions. Kai was too much of a carefree individual to give two shits either way and Xiumin, being Suho’s second, was in the same boat as him… The two of them would have to talk later and figure out a plan.

And what did he think? He didn’t trust you at all, and he knew, without a doubt, you were hiding something from them, but he didn’t think that you were working with the Baem. Suho couldn’t put a name to it, but something was telling him that you weren’t lying about that part.

He had to get more information out of you. The lack of background and history was very concerning to him. If you weren’t tied to the Baem, then you were tied to someone else. Could be another group or a powerful player in this fucked up game, which would cause him even more problems that he didn’t need.

He sighed again. This damn situation was going to give him gray hair.

Your POV

“You have to cooperate with us.”

“I am! I’m telling you what I know.” You say, exasperatedly.

Mostly, at least. You weren’t really lying. You did block out most of what happened before you were 14. Though there was one night that you couldn’t forget no matter what you tried, and you definitely tried. You would give anything to forget about the night that changed your life.

The leader abruptly stands up, shifting all the attention onto him. “Let’s go talk. You and me.”

You slowly stand up to follow him and notice the man with cat-like eyes doing the same. The leader turns to him and puts his hand up.

“Min, you can stay – “

“No.” He interrupts the man. “I’m not leaving you with her. We know nothing about her.”

You could see the leader was about to argue back, and you could almost feel the tension beginning to rise in the air, so before he could respond, you quietly say, “He can come…”

Both men snap their heads toward you, surprised to hear you speak. You watch as cat-eyes begins to walk towards you and snarks, “Gee, thanks for your permission.”


	3. Part 3

You nervously follow the two men into, what you guessed was, the living room. The walls were painted a deep, blood red and lined with a bright, white border. Gold accents spread throughout the room in either decorations or paintings and two white couches that looked brand new took up most of the floor space. A giant fireplace took up half the wall to your right, crackling with a gentle fire, and in front of you were two near floor-to-ceiling windows showing the expanse of the backyard. It was immaculate.

While you took in the grand living room, the leader sat down on one of the couches and waited until you were done being in awe. Once you notice this, you follow his lead and sit down on the same couch as him, leaving nearly three feet of cushion in between you. His friend, cat eyes, stood off to the side of the couch, blocking the exit in case you decided to take a chance and run for it. When neither of them spoke, you decided to take the first plunge. The faster you got this over with, the better.

Looking down at your folded hands, you try to figure out where to start. “Um… sir…”

“Suho.”

Your eyes snap up to his face in surprise. Suho? Did the leader just willingly offer you his name? Wow… He must be extremely confident that you would never have the chance to tell anyone else… Or he was just incredibly certain no one would come after him even if you did tell someone, you weren’t sure which.

Regardless, you try the name out. “Suho… I’m telling you the truth. I don’t mess with bad stuff, or bad people and I don’t have a secret life that I’m trying to hide. I had no intentions of running into a frightening group of guys with guns, let alone two.”

Suho remains quiet, searching your face for any deception. You do your best to keep your face set in an earnest expression because you were mostly telling him the truth. It felt like an hour had gone by as you waited for him to say something, but it had probably only been a minute or two.

“I believe you for some reason.”

Your eyes slightly widen in shock. You had assumed that the leader thought you were lying. He was always the one questioning you and telling you to be honest, so you hadn’t been expecting to hear that from him. It apparently surprised his friend also because cat eyes nearly snapped his neck with how fast he looked at the leader.

“I don’t know why, but I do,” Suho says, trying to justify himself to his friend.

“What does that mean?” You ask quietly.

“Well, you’re still staying here. I can’t let you leave. Either, I’m wrong and you are working with them, then we have one of their people. On the other hand, since they tried to kill you, you’re apparently someone important to them, and then we have what they want. My gut tells me it’s the second option.”

“So, you’ll either kill me or protect me?”

Instead of answering your question, he tilts his head a little to the side and stares into your eyes with a curious expression.

“Do we know each other? I mean, besides all this?”

Well, make that three shots for the leader. He had managed to surprise you once again and now you were completely thrown off guard, and from the expression on cat eyes face, you could tell his friend was just as bewildered. Did you know each other? Why would he randomly ask that?

You open your mouth to answer but quickly close it again, giving the question some serious thought. Could this be some type of test he’s giving you? Or was he genuinely asking you if you knew each other? You give the man in front of you a hard stare. You guess he did look sort of familiar? Maybe a regular at the café?

“I don’t think so? Unless you like coffee?”

“Hmm… interesting. Min, why don’t you take her to her room?” He suggests, turning towards cat eyes.

You look up at the man and gauge his reaction. It was obvious he had been blindsided by the entire conversation and you could see in his eyes that he and the leader would be talking about this later, but he motions you up nonetheless, and you follow him out of the room.

He leads you to the staircase around the corner from the living room, but stops at the bottom of the steps and turns toward you. When he waves you by him, you begin to walk up the steps and notice him following you up. The man clearly didn’t like you walking behind him. He probably thought you were going to stab him in the back, both literally and figuratively.

He follows you all the way to the end of the hallway and just as you’re about to walk into your room, he finally breaks his silence.

“If you’re here to hurt us, I will kill you. Slowly.”

You turn to him, annoyed with all the threats. You didn’t even want to be here in the first fucking place. Did they just happen to forget that?

“I’m really not. I had no intention of even being here, let alone hurting one of you.”

Before he can respond, you turn back toward your room and push the door shut behind you. You listen as the man, or “Min” as Suho had called him, locks you inside the room, not moving a muscle. You stare dejectedly at the bed before finally letting yourself break down and cry.

You cry for everything. Being held hostage. Being shot. Being wrapped up in this nightmare. You cry for your lost life, and the future you may never get.

Why was this happening to you? Is it because of your father? Did those people find out you were still alive? Did they want to come finish the job?

Xiumin’s POV

He paused outside your door, listening for who knew what. It’s not like you could make any phone calls or saw your way out of the room. He shook his head, and just as he was about to walk away, he heard you crying. He started to roll his eyes but then stopped himself. He couldn’t automatically deem you guilty or innocent, like the others. As Suho’s second, he had to base his opinions on logic and facts.

The other men weren’t looking at the big picture. They couldn’t just get rid of you because it was clear you were someone else’s. Either by choice or not, and that was what they had to find out.

Of course, you weren’t helping them, and your hidden background threw neon red flags up everywhere. You had a secret, and if he had to guess, it was a big one. He was almost to the point of letting Saja or Kai get the information from you, but they were always used as a last resort. Their …interviewees normally didn’t survive the process.

He began to trek down the stairs, letting his annoyance fuel his steps. He had to find out what the fuck Suho was thinking. Why would he think you’re innocent? Where did that even fucking come from? And why the hell did he ask if you knew each other?

What was their leader up to?

Suho’s POV

He looked up as Xiumin came around the corner, an edgy look gracing his face. Suho stayed perfectly still as the older man walked up to him, knowing exactly what was about to come his way.

“What are you doing, Suho?”

“What do you mean, Min?”

Xiumin snorts, before coming to a stop in front of him. “You know what the hell I mean. Do you really trust her?”

Suho sighs and leans back into the couch. “I don’t trust her at all, but I believe she’s telling the truth about this.”

“Whyyyy?” Xiumin exaggeratedly questions.

“It’s a gut feeling like I said. I can’t explain it, but I almost feel it in my bones.”

Xiumin stares at him with a disbelieving look on his face. “A gut feeling? Really?! You have got to be joking, and what kind of sci-fi shit is that, ‘I feel it in my bones’?”

When Suho doesn’t say a word, Xiumin looks away from him and stares at the fireplace. When he was finally ready to talk, he turned back to Suho.

“You better hope this gut feeling of yours doesn’t get us all killed.”

“Minseok, please, just go with me. You know I would never do anything to jeopardize our men. I need the support of my second on this.”

The older male sighs and drops down onto the couch before looking at him. “Fine, Myeon, but I really hope you’re right.”

He did too.

Your POV

You must’ve cried yourself to sleep because you suddenly jumped when there was a knock on your door. Before you make a move to get up, you hear an “it’s me” come from the other side of the door. Recognizing Lay’s voice, you tell him to come in, not that you had much choice in the matter. You sit up in the bed and watch as he walks into the room, silently looking for a place to sit. Once he realizes the only option is next to you on the bed, he remains standing.

“I came to see how you were doing…”

“Um… as good as I can be, I guess? I mean, I’m still alive.”

Lay nods like that completely made sense to him. “Do you have any questions you want to ask me?”

Oh boy, did you. You had a lot of things you wanted to ask him, but there was one thing that you had to know first.

“Who are you guys?”

“Well… we’re called EXO. We’re a, what you would consider, mafia group.”

Mafia… You knew that was what they were. Who else would have a shootout in the middle of a shit-hole neighborhood? But there it was, out loud, with no hope of being taken back.

“So, you torture and kill people?”

He pauses at your blunt question and tilts his head to the side. “Well, it’s a little bit more involved than that, but yes, we do those things also.”

You felt sick to your stomach, but you weren’t even remotely surprised. After the little bit you’ve seen, there was only one logical place to end up.

As if to calm you or help you stomach their jobs, Lay adds, “We only do it when we have to. To protect each other and the ones we love. Mostly, we deal with weapons and things like that.”

You couldn’t help but wonder what “things like that” meant, but you decided you didn’t care enough to know at that moment. You had other questions on your mind.

“Who were those other men?”

He gives you an unreadable look. “They’re the Baem, and they’re very bad people.”

You meet his stare and blink a couple of times. “You’re bad people.”

“Yes, but they deal with vile things. They focus on human trafficking, and they will kill any and everything in their way.”

Holy crap. You had heard about human trafficking… You knew it was an ugly, ugly business, and something you wanted to stay far away from. On the other hand, you found it ironic that one mafia group thought they weren’t as bad as another one.

“Is that why they were after me? To sell me or something?”

He quietly considers your question but then dismisses the idea with a shake of his head. “I won’t say it’s not a possibility, but I don’t see why they’d go through all of that trouble just to take one girl.”

What he said made sense, but it also didn’t give you any real answers. If anything, you had more questions now, which only caused more frustration and dread to fill your veins.

When you stay silent, Lay takes that as a cue to leave you to your thoughts, but you stop him before he could get all the way to the door.

You look up at the quiet man, who was staring at you curiously, and find yourself saying, “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but I’m scared… I don’t want something to happen to me…”

“I get it, and believe me when I say, I understand how you feel better than everyone else here. If you need to talk, you can always talk to me.” With those words, he turns and leaves you alone in your room.

An immense feeling of gratitude washes over you at his offer. Him giving you a choice, even a small one like giving you the option to talk to him and him being willing to help you through this, made you feel freer and less like someone locked in a room.

What did he mean when he said he knew better than everyone else? Did they kidnap him too? You scratched that idea. If they did, why on Earth would he stay and join them?

They left you in your room until the next morning, a knock waking you out of your fitful sleep for the second time in less than 12 hours. You turn your head to the nightstand and look at the glowing, red numbers on the clock. 10:07 am. You groan at the thought of leading another day either stuck in this locked room or being questioned like a prisoner.

You hear the knock again and look over to see the door opening, your exhausted mind already forgetting what woke you up. Sitting up, you watch as a very tall man with fluffy, red hair walks in. The two of you stare at each other for a moment, before he brings his hand up to the back of his neck and rubs it.

“It’s time for breakfast.”

Damn it. They wanted you to eat with them again? You mentally sigh and pull yourself from the bed, grateful that you’ve been sleeping fully dressed. Who was this man, and why didn’t Lay come get you?

The man in front of you looked 0% threatening, and he was one of the men who thought you were innocent, but you have had zero interactions with this dude, so you didn’t know what to expect. He’s in this gang for a reason.

You take his lead and follow him out of the room. As the two of you walk down the long hallway, you couldn’t help but notice that you were walking side-by-side. He wasn’t walking behind you like a prison guard, and he wasn’t walking in front of you like you weren’t worth his time… Maybe he was more open to treating you like a person than some of the others.

Deciding to test your theory, you ask, “So… what’s your name?”

He turns toward you with a surprised expression before it quickly morphs into suspicion. You wonder why at first, but then it dawns on you that he might think you were trying to get intel on them, which maybe a tiny part of you was, but not for reasons that he thought.

“You don’t have to tell me your real name… I just thought it’d be nice to call you something besides ‘tall man with red hair’ in my head.”

He let out a deep chuckle that surprised not only you but him as well. Quickly slipping the smile off his face, he clears his throat.

“Loey… You can call me Loey.”

You tested the name out in your head, liking the sound of it. “Loey… it’s fun. I like it.”

He looks back at you with an annoyed expression. “It’s not supposed to be fun.”

“Sorry. It’s very scary. Honest.”

You look over to see him fight back a smile. You start to smile yourself, but swiftly stop once you realize what you’re doing. What is wrong with you? Why do you care if he smiles or not? Have you somehow forgotten the fucked up situation you were in?

Clearing your throat, you shift the topic of conversation. “So, Lay, Suho, Loey, and a bunch of scary dudes. Cool.”

From your peripheral vision, you see him visibly tense, before feeling him turn toward you with sharp eyes. You’re not surprised at all when he asks, “Are you gathering information?”

“No. I think it makes me more comfortable. It gives the faces names.” You tell him as soothingly as you can, not wanting to have him jump back to the idea of you working for the other group.

As you finish your sentence, the two of you walk into the kitchen, where you were the night before. Everyone was already there again, but you did notice that two of your biggest haters were MIA. However, the tall one that seemed to hate that you were breathing was there, and by the pissed off look on his face, you guessed he was not happy with the carefree way Loey was handling you.

A handsome man with full lips steps into your line of sight, distracting you from the other male, and you immediately recognize him as the one who had made the perverted comment the night before.

With sparkling eyes, he offers you a full smile and says, “Good morning, sweetheart. I don’t believe I’ve properly introduced myself. I’m Kai.”

“Um… hello…”

He takes a step towards you, his smile morphing into a smirk. “Awe, are you shy?”

From your right, you see a pair of arms give the man in front of you a slight push away. You look over in time to see Lay shake his head at the man.

“Kai, let her sit and eat.”

The man sighs loudly and turns with a dramatic flair. “Fine, but this is just proof that none of you let me have any fun.”

“Oh, I doubt that, Kai. I’m sure you have plenty of fun.” Suho looks at him with raised eyebrows, which Kai returns with a full-blown grin.

Lay leads you over to the seat you had sat in previously and puts a plate full of breakfast foods in front of you, just like he did the night before.

“Good morning, Nari.”

You give him a small “morning” but internally cringe at your adopted name being used. You truly hated the name, as it brought bad memories to your mind whenever you heard it.

Loey pulled you out of your internal grumblings with a question that had been on your mind as well.

“Where’s the other two?”

“D.O. was off making sure everything was ready, and Chen is currently digging into every system he can to find info on our new guest.” The leader replies, meeting your stare.

Suddenly, you feel nerves sparking to life in your body. If he kept digging and digging, he was bound to find something, but what would he find? Would they figure out who your real parents were?

Feeling eyes watching you, you look up to meet the stare of the man with cat eyes.

“Are you scared?”

“Of course, I’m scared. I’m being held hostage by you people and have even crazier people who may or may not be after me.”

“I can see why you’d be scared,” Kai smirks from across you.

The one with cat eyes continues to look at you with a measured stare. “Why were you in foster care?”

You break eye contact and immediately look down at your lap, feeling every pair of eyes in the room on you, waiting for an answer. You knew they’d ask, but you didn’t want to share the reason with them. However, you were sure that was a piece of information they’d find out eventually.

“My parents died, and I had no one else to look after me.”

“How’d they die?” Suho asks you.

You prepare yourself to repeat the same fake story you’ve told for what felt like the hundredth time. “They died in a car accident during a snowstorm when I was younger. They left me at home, which is why I wasn’t with them at the time.”

“You don’t have any siblings?” Cat eyes questions.

“No, I’m an only child.” Lie.

Well, not technically a lie. You were an only child. Now.

“I’m sorry…” The leader quietly says, causing your eyes to snap to him.

“Why would you be sorry?” You knew people offered condolences when someone lost a loved one, but the tone of his voice and expression on his face had you questioning if he had another reason for telling you sorry.

“I was in a similar situation. Kind of.”

Cat eyes clears his throat, pulling the leader out of whatever distant memories haunted him. They obviously didn’t want you to know much about them. Fair enough, you felt the same.

The short man with thick eyebrows walks into the kitchen, breaking up the tension. You wonder if this man was D.O. or Chen… but that thought was erased when you heard him utter, “It’s time.”

As the men in the room all start to stand up, you look around with wide eyes. It was time for what? What was about to happen? You feel Lay move next to you on your left and watch as he stretches his arm toward you.

“Come on.”


	4. Part 4

“Come on.”

Your eyes trail down to Lay’s outstretched hand, as he beckons you to follow him. Listening to the men around you stand up in a rush of pushed back chairs and the clanking of dropped silverware on plates, you shake your head no. There was no way in hell you were going anywhere. It’s time? It’s time for what? For them to get rid of you? To take you somewhere else? You grip the edge of the table harshly, attempting to prevent them from moving you out of your seat. Uh-uh. Nope. They were gonna have to pry your dead hands off this table before you went anywhere.

As the men trickle out of the kitchen one by one, one of them walks by you and smiles at your current state, making you grip the table harder. Glancing back up at Lay, you put some strength behind your words.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Lay furrows his eyebrows at your tone and takes in your clenched fingers and wide eyes with confusion. On his way out of the kitchen, Kai leans towards Lay and says something to him, but it was spoken too quietly for you to hear. Lay stares after him a moment and then glances back at you, understanding dawning in his eyes.

“I’m taking you to your room, not with them.”

Oh… You lean back from your hunched over position and slowly let go of the death grip you have on the table. Looking down at your hands, you frown. They would’ve pulled you off that table in two seconds flat. It wasn’t like there was even a ledge to hang on to. Not to mention that every guy walked past you on their way out, and most of them barely spared you a glance.

Sighing, you rub your forehead, knowing you were going to lose any shred of sanity you had before this bullshit ended. You pull your hand away from your forehead and place it in Lay’s waiting hand, allowing him to pull you up from the chair and out of the kitchen. Neither of you saying a word as you make the trek back to your room.

When the two of you arrive at your door, Lay pushes it open and looks at you, waiting for you to move, but you stay still. Curiosity getting the better of you.

“Where are they going?”

“Not anywhere you need to worry about.”

“Are you going with them?”

He hesitates before answering. “No. Chen and I will stay here.”

You nod, even though you didn’t know which one Chen was. When you walk past him into the room, you figure that was the end of the conversation until you heard Lay say, “Don’t try to escape. I really don’t want to hurt you…”

His words cause a frown to grow on your face. Escaping wasn’t something you thought much about anymore. After thinking it through, you realized that leaving this place might be the worst option. If you did escape, not only would you be running from human traffickers, but EXO as well. While you knew of ways to hide yourself, you had no doubt in their abilities to find you and hurt you. Plus, you had no idea why that other group was after you. If it was connected to your past, if they were connected to your past, then it might be safer to stay here with EXO…

But what would happen to you after the Baem situation was solved? You doubted these men would let you go after this…

A few hours passed, and you were bored out of your ever-loving mind. You didn’t know how much longer you could handle being locked in this room. The blandness of it was enough to drive you mad on its own, let alone the lack of, well, everything. Maybe you should ask Lay to bring you a couple of books or something. There was no television, radio, and your window gave you a beautiful view of trees that grew boring rather quickly.

Were they back yet? Did they go do something to the Baem?

You couldn’t hear much of anything while you were inside this room. It was the last room at the end of a long hallway, and nobody ever hung out up here. Regardless, you stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. Maybe you could hear something through the crack? Sighing, you flop down on the ground by the door, feeling hopelessly desperate. If you didn’t hear anything the first 30 times, you doubted you would now.

Staring at the wooden door like it was your enemy, you amuse yourself with thoughts of scaring whoever came through the door. Although, they would probably kill you for either 1) scaring them (if you even could) or 2) thinking you were trying to escape.

A nagging feeling shoots through your mind at that last thought, your brain trying to tell you something that you hadn’t given much thought to earlier. Why would Lay tell you to not try to escape? You couldn’t recall him saying that any other time he left you in the room… So why now? What was different this time?

Getting a weird feeling in your stomach, you rise up on your knees and slowly reach for the doorknob. Once the cold metal is in your hand, you gradually twist the knob and hear a click, causing your heart to thud in your chest painfully. It was unlocked… Holy shit… Lay left your freaking door unlocked!

Your mind raced with thoughts and possibilities. Did he leave it unlocked on purpose? He had to of… Why else would he randomly tell you not to escape? Was he giving you a chance to get out of here?

Focusing back on the knob, you slowly pull it toward you, opening the door enough to peek out into the long hallway.

No one.

It was completely empty.

You pull back from the door and stand up from your kneeling position on the floor. This was it. If you were leaving this room, it was now or never. Without thinking much more about it, you grab the door, pulling it wide open, and step out into the hallway.

Turning back, you pull the door shut behind you to make everything look more normal, in case anyone were to come down the hallway this far. Taking a breath, you turn back towards the stairs, where you meet the stare of, Baek, the man who had tested your food.

He stops mid-step and stares back at you with wide eyes and a slack jaw, surprise written all over his face. All you could do was stare back, heart pounding agonizingly in your chest. What else were you supposed to do? You were caught red-handed, and you were in the dead-end of the hallway, so there was nowhere for you to run.

An unreadable expression takes over his face as he strides up to you. Backing up into the door, you try to make yourself smaller as he comes closer. It takes only seconds, but when he gets to you, he doesn’t say a word. Maintaining eye contact with you, he reaches around your hip for the doorknob and pushes the door open.

“In.”

You move backward into the room without a fight, and he follows you, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, he says nothing. His narrowed eyes taking you in, maybe deciding what he was going to do. You cast your eyes down to the floor, not daring to utter a word in your defense.

“What the hell were you doing?” He asks, his voice deadly quiet.

What were you doing? You hadn’t planned on escaping. You literally just had that mental conversation a couple of hours ago… However, you were curious about where you were. You had only seen a couple of the rooms, and you wanted to know what else there was.

“I don’t know, I guess I was going to look around…” You say lamely.

“Who told you you could do that?” He asks with a low voice.

Still peering at the ground, you don’t reply. What could you say?

Baek sighs loudly at your lack of responses, clearly frustrated. “You’re lucky it was me, and not one of the other members. You might not be standing right now otherwise… How did you get out anyway?”

You gain the courage to look up at him, noticing that he seems more irritated than pissed off. His hands were fisted at his sides, but the look on his face was more frustration than anything else. Maybe you wouldn’t be punished like you thought you would? However, you knew that what you were going to say next, would have implications.

“The door was unlocked…” You tell him quietly.

His eyes widen marginally in disbelief. “The door was… ugh. What is he doing?” He brings a hand up to rub his forehead like he had suddenly gotten a migraine, before abruptly turning to leave.

Assuming he was going to go talk to Lay and not wanting to turn the two people in your corner against you, you tell him the truth.

“I wasn’t going to leave.”

His body stiffens at your words, but he doesn’t turn around. All he gives you is a side look over his shoulder. “Sneaking around isn’t any better. It only makes you that much more suspicious.”

You watch as he straightens and walks out of your room, shutting and locking the door with an audible click. Dropping down onto your bed, you rest your elbows on your knees and drop your head into your hands, suddenly exhausted. He’s going to go tell Lay…

You just showed the only two people who believed you, that they probably shouldn’t.

Baek’s POV

Honestly. He couldn’t even lock the fucking door. The guy was a freaking doctor, and he couldn’t remember to lock a damn door.

Frustrated, Baekhyun began to head straight for Lay’s room, intending to find out what the heck had happened, and how Lay had forgotten to lock her in her room. How could he… Baek’s steps falter as he considers something. No… He wouldn’t do it on purpose… would he?

With renewed purpose, Baek marches up to Lay’s door and knocks before pushing it open, not giving the man a chance to answer him. Lay turns away from the closet he was rummaging through to see who had barged into his room.

“Baek, what’s up?”

Baekhyun reaches behind him and shuts the door, before looking at the older man. It was clear he had Lay’s full attention now.

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“Do what?” He asks, nonchalantly.

Baekhyun stayed silent but cocked an eyebrow at him. That was all it took for Lay to sigh and drop down on his bed, a hand rubbing down his face.

“I don’t know why I did it.”

Now it was Baek’s turn to sigh, before walking over to the bed and sitting down next to him. “You’re lucky it was me that found her.”

They were both so damn lucky. If it was Saja, Chen, or D.O., all hell would’ve broken loose, and it wouldn’t have been any better if it was any other member either.

Lay nods, knowing he was right. “I don’t believe she’s with them. She’s clueless about them, or she’s fantastic at playing dumb.”

“No, I think you’re right. I think she was dragged into it.”

Lay was silent before he quietly said, “Like us.”

Baek doesn’t reply, but he hums in agreement, understanding the thought process that Lay was having. Neither of them had wanted to be a part of this life, but people had other plans for them. Lay had it worse than Baekhyun did, so all the men knew that Lay would have a soft spot for you.

“Should we tell Suho?” Lay asks him.

Baek considers it but then shakes his head. “We have no proof. We’ll just have to see how this plays out and keep her out of trouble.

Your POV

For the next two weeks, your routine consisted of sleeping, eating, being questioned, and sleeping again. You were hardly let out of your room, and you were going stir crazy. You wanted, needed, someone to talk to. The only pleasant human interaction you had was with Lay. He would come and check on you, making sure you had whatever you needed, but he could only stay for so long.

A knock sounded at your door and you thanked whoever it was for their great timing. You glance over at the door to see who would walk in and shock flows through you when you see the man who had caught you sneaking out of your room. You were surprised to see him after your “escape”. You were almost positive that he would’ve abandoned you, but it looked like he and Lay were still on your side.

“How are you feeling?”

His words brought you out of your thoughts and you peer over to see him lean against the wall across from you.

“Not bad. I’m bored out of my mind though.”

“I bet.” He offers you a small smile before nodding toward your arm. “How are your injuries healing up? I’m sure Lay’s been taking good care of them.”

“Yeah, he says they’re healing well.”

There was a lull in the conversation and he began to push himself off the wall. “Well, I just wanted to check on you.”

Without giving it much thought, you suddenly ask him, “Will you stay for a bit? I need some sort of human interaction.”

He stares at you for a moment, considering, before nodding and taking back his spot on the wall.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Well… what can I call you?”

You knew the others called him Baek, but it felt wrong to refer to him like that unless he told you himself. Geez, how polite of you, you mentally snark.

“I never told you my name?” He asks with surprise. You shake your head no before he says, “Baek… It’s short for Baekhyun.”

You nod because it made perfect sense before your eyes widen with realization. “Did you just tell me your real name?”

He nods, taking in your shocked expression.

“Thank you… You’re the only one who has…” You say with wonder.

He shrugs like it wasn’t a big deal to him. “I don’t think you have anything to do with the Baem. I think they targeted you, and I’m not the only one who thinks that. Lay and Loey do as well. Believe it or not, there are people here who are watching your back.”

You blink at him with wide eyes, feeling a slight burn behind them. That was such a relieving thing to hear come out of his mouth. To hear, out loud, that they were still on your side. You clear your throat before you could process the emotions that were whirling inside of you.

“So, for your code name… you just… shortened your real one?”

He scratches the top of his head and looks at the floor in embarrassment, before mumbling, “Yeah”.

You couldn’t help the small smile that was fighting its way onto your face. “Isn’t that… a bad idea?”

“Hey! I was always bad at naming things, and I couldn’t find something I liked enough.”

You giggle at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. His nickname. You enjoying the story behind it. It was all so mundane, yet not.

“Okay, okay, all I’m saying – “

“Hush.”

Surprisingly, you do, and the two of you fall into a content silence before he asks you a question that has your entire body freezing.

“Is that necklace important to you?”

You slowly look down to see that you had unconsciously taken your necklace out from under your shirt and were playing with it. You quickly tuck it back into your shirt where it was supposed to be and begin smoothing out your jeans, not looking up at him.

“Yeah… It was given to me by someone I loved dearly.”

“Are they still around?” He asks quietly.

You shake your head, before finding your voice. “No.”

You gaze up to him, preparing to ask if he would keep it to himself, but he was already shaking his head no.

“Don’t worry about it.” He says while standing up from the wall and taking his leave.

You felt better after talking with Baekhyun. It was reassuring to know that some of them didn’t want you dead. That maybe, when this was all over, you’ll be able to leave… but 3 of 9 were not good odds.

You didn’t know how long you were lost in your thoughts, but a knock on your door had you frowning. Three visits in one day? You watch as Lay walks into your room, for the second time that day, and your frown turns into a smile. You had grown comfortable with Lay. He took care of you and made you feel like you weren’t being held against your will.

“Hey, I wanted to give you a heads up.” He says with a slight frown. “Suho is calling a meeting… and he wants you there.”

“Me?” You ask with surprise. “Why?”

“I’m assuming it’s about the Baem and you, but I don’t know… I’ll be back in an hour to come get you.”

You nod and lean your head back against your headboard, questioning why Suho would want you there and end up missing Lay hesitate by the door.

“I hear you had a visitor today…”

You look back over at Lay, surprised to see him still standing by the door. “Yeah, Baekhyun talked for a little bit.”

At the mention of Baekhyun’s full name, Lay stiffens, and you wonder if you shouldn’t have said it.

“So, he told you his real name, huh?”

“I mean… all he did was shorten his birth name for his nickname.”

Lay chuckles. “Yeah, I used to give him a hard time about that… Do you want to know mine…?”

Your eyes widen at the offer and you nod your head.

“Yixing.”

“Yixing?” At his nod, you say, “I like it. It’s different.”

He smiles at your compliment and his entire face transforms. A dimple popped out and you were momentarily stunned. Why wasn’t this guy a freaking model instead of in some stupid mob? Wasted opportunity to be honest.

“Thank you for trusting me, Yixing.”

“He was right when he said there were people looking out for you. That’s why we keep you in here. This is our way of keeping you safe.”

You nod, not knowing what to say.

“I have to get ready for this meeting. I’ll be back soon.”

After he left, you laid there and thought about how you knew two of their real names, and basically everyone’s codename. Names were power in the mafia world, and they were giving you trust that you weren’t reciprocating. Hell, they still thought your name was Nari.

Before you knew it, your hour was up. A knock on your door signaled to you that it was time, and your stomach filled with dread. There was not a single part of you that wanted to go to this meeting. You stand up and head over to the door as it opens. Might as well get this over with.

“Hey, Yix… You’re not Yixing…”

A man, staring at you with hatred in his eyes, blinks once.

“No. I’m not… Yixing.”


	5. Part 5

The man standing in front of you was giving off a feral aura. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his cold glare felt like it was penetrating your skull. He even went as far as to bare his teeth at you. This man was the definition of wild animal.

You slowly back away from him, almost like if you moved any faster, it would cause him to attack. When he shuts the bedroom door and looks back at you, fear washes over you. You were now shut in your room, and the only way out was through the man who has wanted you dead since he first laid eyes on you.

When he had opened your door, you could tell he was already pissed off, but when he heard you say Yixing’s name… that was what had really set him off.

As he edged closer to you, you shifted back, maintaining as much distance between the two of you as you could. Heart pounding in your chest, you loosen your hands at your sides, not only to appear less aggressive; but in case you needed to quickly defend yourself. Why was he here? What did he want?

“Let’s chat.”

You lift your chin up in an act of defiance. He probably knew you were scared. Could see your body trembling even at a distance, but you’d be damned if you went down without a fight.

"About what?" You ask, surprised by the amount of strength you heard in your voice.

It was a point for you, but you stifled any celebration when he curled his lip in annoyance. His eyes glinting dangerously as he zeroed them in on you.

“I want to know what you plan on doing here. Somehow, you’ve managed to convince three of my brothers that you’re innocent, but I think that’s bullshit. I don’t know what you’re fucking saying to them, but if I find out that you’re working with the Baem, I will rip you apart with my bare hands. If you do anything that ends up hurting someone I care about, I’ll make you wish that I killed you.”

His words shook you to your core, and you had no doubt this man would go through with everything he said. You almost wanted to reassure him that you weren’t here to cause them any harm, but it annoyed you that you even felt that way. Fuck him. You didn’t even want to be here in the first place, and a small part of you wanted to throw that in his face, but you had to remind yourself that this was your only real option at this point.

Before you can say anything, your door swings open, pulling both of your attention to it. Loey walks into your room, confusion settling on his features, causing Saja to straighten up from his offensive stance. Loey stops in the doorway and looks between the two of you with clear suspicion in his eyes before his eyes settle on his friend.

“Saja, what’re you doing in here?”

The man, who had just been threatening your life, looks down and smiles at you like the two of you were best friends. “Oh, Nari and I were just talking.”

Surprise causes you to stare up at him with wide eyes. What a slick little fucker, you think, before turning back to Loey, hoping he would see through the bullshit. The look on Loey’s face told you that he didn’t believe him at all, and when he glances at you and notices your expression, his eyebrows drawdown. Looking back at Saja, he pushes the door open the rest of the way and inclines his head toward the hallway.

“Let’s talk out here.”

The man beside you meets Loey’s stare before nodding and walking out the door. He doesn't even give you a backward glance, which was perfectly fine with you. However, Loey does look back at you before following him out and shutting the door behind them. You sag with relief now that the air was free of tension, and before you could help yourself, you sneak over to the door to listen to them.

A wiser part of you tried to remind you that you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on them when one of them had already threatened to hurt you, but you quickly shut that part of you up. Putting your ear as close to the crack as you dared, you hold your breath and focus on their mumbled voices.

Loey’s POV

He held onto the smooth doorknob, trying to find the patience to have this argument with Sehun again. The two of you were “just talking”, my ass, he thought. It’s like the younger man had forgotten he’s known him his entire existence.

With a sigh, he turns to face Sehun and takes in the near fighting stance he was in. Clearly, he knew where this was going as well as Chanyeol did.

“What are you doing?” He asks him tiredly.

Sehun immediately jumps at the question, like he was ready to explode. “I told you, I don’t trust her.”

Chanyeol tips his head back and looks up at the boring, white ceiling above him. You know, for such a grand house, their ceilings could use some work…

“I don’t know why you believe her! What if she does work for them? What if she had something to do with Jiho?!”

Chanyeol felt his entire body go stiff at the mention of his brother’s name. Everyone knew that Jiho was not a topic to talk about with Chanyeol, and that went for Sehun as well. He didn’t care if the three of them had been inseparable. Jiho was not something he ever wanted to discuss.

Slowly lowering his head to look at the man across from him, with a deadly quiet voice, he says, “Don’t go there.”

Sehun carried on like he didn’t even notice the change in him. “Think about it. What – “

Chanyeol felt the fire behind his glare, and he let out an audible growl, causing Sehun to really look at him. The younger man’s eyes widened marginally, and he stood up from his defensive stance, immediately letting the fight drain out of him.

“Sehun. I’m warning you. Don’t.”

Sehun fell silent before sighing. Then, in the quietest voice Chanyeol had heard from him in years, he says, “I don’t want something to happen to you. I can’t lose you too. I’d rather die.”

Chanyeol felt the pain in his words, and he let a little bit of it seep into him. He felt the same way about Sehun, and he understood the grief that was being harbored inside his cousin because he had it inside himself too. He would die before he let something happen to him….

However, deep down Chanyeol knew that you weren’t going to hurt or betray them, at least not on purpose. He had been trying to get Sehun to see his side, but his cousin was fiercely loyal to him and their brothers. You were an outsider, and Sehun didn’t like those.

“Sehun… I’m asking you to trust me…”

“You? Always. Her? I can’t.”

With those parting words, Sehun walked past him and down the stairs at the end of the hallway. Chanyeol stared after him until he saw the last bob of his head, and then he turned back towards your door.

Your POV

When you hear footsteps begin to walk away, you quickly run over to your bed and sit down, just in time for Loey to open the door. He observes you for a moment, taking in your flushed skin and round eyes. You could see the tiredness in his form and knew that the argument they had was draining to him. It made you feel bad for him. Loey was a nice man, as far as you had seen. He seemed a little naïve at times, but he had been nothing but kind to you.

“Are you okay?”

You nod and replay the entire conversation you had overheard. Somewhere during their conversation, you had begun to get a clearer view of Saja or Sehun. You heard the agony in his voice when he was talking to Loey, and it brought you back to when you had lost your family. It was painfully obvious that the two of them has lost someone important to them, and Sehun thought you could be connected to that somehow.

“…I understand where he’s coming from.”

Loey lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “What do you mean?”

It pissed you off to no extent that you understood the homicidal giant’s thought process, but you did, nonetheless.

“You guys don’t know me or trust me. He’s trying to protect the people he loves. I’d probably do the same thing if I was in his position.”

Loey slowly nods, before quietly stating, “You sure are mighty understanding… Let’s go downstairs before we’re late.”

You follow Loey down the carpeted stairs, but instead of taking a left, as you would to get to the kitchen, the two of you went right, down a hallway you have yet to see. You passed only two doors before stopping in front of the foreboding, wooden door at the end of the hallway. When Loey opens the door, he ushers you into a massive room with a large whiteboard on one wall and papers, posters, and pictures tacked on every other wall. An enormous, round table was placed in the center of the room, where a group of men was sitting, watching you.

Evidently, the two of you were late anyway.

You follow Loey to two empty chairs and find yourself sitting next to Yixing. When he looks at you, he gives you an odd look, before glancing at Loey, and you wonder why he wasn't the one to come get you like he said he would.

“What took you so long?” Suho questions from the other side of the table.

Loey met Saja’s stare while answering. “We got a little held up, but everything is fine.”

You could see curiosity in a lot of the men's eyes as they looked between the three of you, but Suho moved forward with whatever he was about to do.

“I called this meeting to restrategize due to some new information.”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise until you hear Chen irritably ask, “Why is she here then?”

Normally, that type of comment would annoy you, especially coming from him, but this time the two of you were on the same page. Why would they want you to hear this?

“The information involves her.”

Saja shoots a glare your way. “I knew she was trouble.”

Suho rolls his eyes, obviously tired of the antics. “If she were trouble, she wouldn’t be here right now.” He turns to look at you. “I sent Kai to check out your apartment.”

“Okay?” And?

“The door was busted in. Your place was destroyed.” Kai shares with you.

You waited to feel sadness, but it never came. You hated that apartment, and there wasn’t much in there that you cared to keep. The place was a dump, so you felt no love lost, but you were curious why someone even bothered to ransack the place.

“Someone broke into my apartment?”

At Suho’s nod, you hear Yixing quietly say, “Baem.”

"My thoughts as well," Suho responds to him. "Do you know what they could be looking for, Nari?"

Your focus catches on your adopted name, and you had to remember what the question was. You were really getting tired of hearing that name.

“Could they have been looking for me?”

D.O. snorts across from you. “I doubt they’d look for you in your panty drawer.”

Eyes narrowing in on him, it takes all your willpower not to say, "no shit, Sherlock", but you manage to bite your tongue.

“Nari – “

“Y/N.”

You freeze when you hear the name come out of your mouth, along with everyone else in the room. Oh, crap.

“Excuse me?” Suho asks.

Well shit, you went and did it now. You don’t even know why you said it. All you knew was that you were sick and fucking tired of hearing the name Nari, and your irritation level had been rising drastically throughout the day. Apparently, your subconscious was overhearing it as well. You haven’t gone by that name in such a long time, and there was a reason for that.

Taking a deep breath, you say, “My name is Y/N. I stopped going by the name Nari years ago.”

“So, you’ve been lying to us. Why am I not surprised?” Chen sneers.

That was it. You felt something inside you snap. You were over being compliant and polite.

“First of all, you twerp, you were the one who acted like you knew everything about me. I just didn’t correct you. My name was Nari until I left that piece of shit foster home, and I changed it. Must suck that you couldn’t figure that out, Mr. Genius.”

As you snapped at him, you could see Chen becoming more pissed off, but you didn’t care, and a part of you got grim satisfaction from it. Some of the men even found your irritation amusing, but it didn’t matter much what they thought of the lie. It only really mattered what Suho thought.

When you peeped over at Suho, he stared at you with an odd look on his face, and you felt like you needed to soothe the leader for lying to them about your name.

“I didn’t say anything because, honestly, I didn’t think I was going to last this long. I didn’t know if telling you would get me killed, so sorry, but I kept it to myself.” You lean back into your chair. Now that you got that out, you felt better, but you were worried about the consequences.

Nobody responded to your mini blow up, but finally, Suho slowly nodded his head. "What's your last name now?"

“Same last name. You can search it if you want, but I doubt anything will come up.”

“Your damn right I’m gonna be searching that name, you lying bitch.” Chen scoffs at you.

"Shut the fuck up, Chen," Loey says from your right, his voice gruffer than usual.

You ignore him and look over at Suho to gauge his reaction. He had been oddly silent about your lying, and you wondered what he was thinking.

Once you meet his eyes, he asks, “Is there anything else you need to tell us?”

“That’s it.” You tell him, shaking your head.

He tilted his head to the side as if to say he wasn't buying it.

“Honestly.”

That was all they needed to know. Your past was none of their damn business, and you would be dead before they got it out of you.

“I like Y/N better. I slept with a Nari before, and she ended up being totally fucking crazy.” Kai smirks at you, and the corner of your mouth tips up without your permission.

“Y/N…”

You turn your head when you hear Baekhyun say your name. Hearing your name come out of his mouth was an odd experience. There was something about it that you couldn't describe. Baekhyun was looking down at the table, processing the new name, and guilt joined the odd feeling you had. He and Yixing had trusted you with their real names, and you clearly hadn't trusted them.

“Could you have kept anything from before you went into foster care?”

You had been staring at Baekhyun with guilt long enough that you had to think about what he had asked you.

“What?”

“Well, you say you’re not working for the Baem, so that would technically rule out them searching for something of theirs that they don’t want us to find.” Baekhyun begins to explain, only to get cut off by D.O.

"Except we're not going to rule that out because she could be lying again, and we’re not fucking idiots.”

Baekhyun continued as if D.O. had never spoken, but he did shoot him a quick glare. "If you're sure they wouldn't want you or something you have from your life with your foster parents… then it must be from your past.”

Fuck. He had reached the same conclusion that you didn’t want to reach. You knew, deep down, that this was going to somehow end up connected to your childhood, but you desperately hoped it wouldn’t. There were too many demons in your past that you were running from. Too much darkness, emptiness, and pain that you never wanted to face again, and you were gonna try your hardest to avoid it.

“What did your birth parents do?” Yixing asks you, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“My mom stayed home with us. My dad… Well, I have no idea what my dad did. He was hardly ever home. He was always away on business.”

"So, he was a businessman?" Someone asked.

Yeah, sure. Sounds good.

“I think so. International business or something. They never talked about it when I was home, and I didn’t really care to ask when I was younger.”

You held your breath as everyone stared at you silently, evaluating what you were telling them. The room was so quiet, you almost wished there was a clock on the wall, so you could hear the ticking noise.

From your left, a twitch of movement caught your attention, and you dragged your eyes over to meet D.O.’s. With a sudden flash of movement, he was out of his seat and coming toward you. His movements were so fast, you almost jumped out of your chair from being startled.

Everyone else reacted quicker than you. Yixing, Kai, and Loey had jumped from their seats and were holding back a snarling D.O., but his stare was drilling into you, even from five feet away. You met the man's angry eyes with your own round ones, and your heart was pounding in your chest. What the hell just happened?!

“Liar! Your father was in the mafia, wasn’t he?! He was probably a fucking Baem! What?! Did your father betray them and they wanted you for revenge?! Is dear old dad even dead?!” He yells at you.

Too terrified and shocked to move, your wide eyes took in his scathing ones and your hands dug into the armrests of the chair. You were shocked because of D.O.'s sudden outburst, but you were terrified because he was right.

Your father was in the mafia.

He had been a freaking leader in the mafia world.

You just always tried to pretend that he hadn’t been.

You never wanted EXO to find out. You never knew what the name of your fathers’ group was, which meant you also didn’t know who his enemies were. He very well could’ve been a member of the Baem, or from another group, or maybe even EXO. You had no clue, and if it turned out your father had been the leader of an enemy group of EXO? Then you weren’t sure what they would do to you, but you had an active imagination.

Kai yelling at D.O. to calm down brought you back to reality. At some point during the chaos, Xiumin had walked over and was leaning against the table directly in front of you.

“Answer him.”

You meet his eyes, knowing your decision had been made, and that there was absolutely no turning back now.

“He wasn’t in the mafia. He did international business.”

Xiumin narrowed his eyes and leaned down closer to you. “Then why do you look so scared?”

Baekhyun, who had moved next to you and was staring at D.O. through his own narrowed eyes, turned his stare on Xiumin. “Probably because D.O. is acting mental.”

With that, he grabbed your arm and pulled you from your chair. Your vision was a blur, but you were vaguely aware of him taking you out of the room and up the stairs towards your bedroom. You didn’t remember much of the walk back, you were too lost in your past, but you could vaguely hear Baekhyun trying to soothe you.

Baek’s POV

Baekhyun couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. In the few years he had known D.O., he had never seen the man lose his shit like he just did, and it had thrown Baekhyun off. Actually, the whole meeting had left a sour taste in his mouth.

From the moment you and Loey had arrived late, Baek had wondered what had taken you so long, and when Loey shot a glare towards his cousin, he knew Saja had probably done something stupid. He was dying to know what had happened because he knew how Saja was, but you seemed okay when you walked into the boardroom, so he let it go.

Then, the bombshell about your name had been dropped. Baekhyun had told you his real name in confidence. Although it wasn’t a far stretch from his nickname, it was still a piece of himself that he had shared with you. You never once mentioned the name Y/N, and it made him feel stupid for telling you his. The more Baek thought about it though, the more he paid attention to the look on your face whenever you heard the name Nari. There was always a disassociated glint in your eye when you heard it, and Baekhyun was pissed off at himself for not recognizing it sooner.

Your father though… there was something there. The men weren’t stupid. It was blatantly obvious that you were lying about your father, and it was something they would have to figure out soon. There were too many unknown variables. Was he a traitor? Was he lackey? A soldier? How was he connected to the mafia world? And was he, like you claimed, truly dead?

EXO was one of the most powerful groups on their continent, which meant their enemies were just as powerful… With your secrets, and what you had learned about them so far… were you going to cause the downfall of EXO?

Once Baekhyun got back to the boardroom, it appeared that everyone was back to a calmer state, though agitation and tension still filled the room. It was silent, minus the heavy breathing that was coming from D.O. The shorter man was seething, and Baekhyun sighed knowing it was gonna be a long night.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Suho. We know she’s lying. Her father was in the mafia world.” Chen bit out as Baekhyun took his seat.

“You better watch your fucking tone with me, Jongdae. Don’t forget who’s the leader here.” Suho growled back at him.

“What do we do?” Baekhyun asked, hoping that Suho didn’t immediately jump on the bandwagon with Chen and D.O.

“Okay, everyone listen, because I’m only gonna say this once. Chen, I want you to search her name, along with Nari, missing person reports, runaway lists, everything. Even if you already checked it, check again, and I want you to dig through her story about her parent’s death with a fine-tooth comb. Kai, I want you to go out and subtly ask around about a teenager who may have disappeared a decade ago. Go to the clubs, the warehouses, talk to our suppliers, ask anyone that you even remotely trust. If this gets back to the Baem, so fucking be it. They probably already know we have her. The rest of you, I want you to search through our databases on the other groups, past groups, even small groups that are insignificant. Search their family records, everything. If her father was a part of this world, we find him.”

Your POV

After Baekhyun left, you slowly sat down on your bed and prepared for the whirlwind that was about to take you.

You hadn't thought about your father for a long time. You were never daddy’s little girl, but you knew he loved you, in his own way. Neither of your parents was ever really a parent. One always focused on his work, and the other always tried to cope with the occupation of her husband. Neither of them was ever home. Your mom was always out or gone with her friends. Being married to a mafia leader was always hard on her, but she loved your father with her whole heart.

Your older brother had basically raised you. He would drop everything to be there for you or to take care of you. He was like your other half in some ways, your rock, and you could always turn to him when you needed to.

You felt the warm metal in your hand again, and you looked down to see your necklace between your fingers. The silver K reflected the light from your ceiling as you flipped it over. Running your thumb across your name that had been engraved in the back, you lay back and remember when it was given to you.

It was a gift from your brother on your 13th birthday. That birthday was one of the best birthdays you had ever had, and it was the last one you shared with your brother.

He had loved taking you out to do things, and every birthday, he would take you to an ice-skating rink. It was your tradition. The two of you would go skating, grab some warm drinks, and then go home and pig out on junk food. He had given you the necklace right before going skating that year and made you promise to keep it safe.

You felt a tear roll down your cheek, and you turned over onto your side, curling into a ball. You missed your brother so much, it physically hurt. It was like there was a red-hot hole in the center of your chest whenever you thought about him. A painful reminder that a part of you was missing.

You were never the same after he was killed.

Sitting up, you unclasp the necklace and let it fall into your hands. You stare down at it for a moment, thinking about the memory of your brother telling you to keep it safe. Reaching behind you for your pillow, you gently tuck the necklace into the pillowcase and lean it back against the headboard. That way, it would always be by you, but there wasn’t much of a chance someone would see or find it. You didn’t want the men to know about it, and even though Baekhyun had already seen it, you had a feeling he wouldn’t tell.


	6. Part 6

Suho’s POV

It’s been two weeks since he sent the men on a search for your father, and they had come up completely empty-handed. Everyone was at a loss, including him. There was no one that matched your description or story one way or the other, and they were back at square one.

Suho was so frustrated that, at times, he thought he was going to send himself into cardiac arrest. He didn’t know what to do anymore, and he wondered if it was time to call in the elders.

Suho sighed and rested his head in his hands, a tension headache beginning to ease itself up his neck. He couldn’t remember the last time he relaxed, but he definitely needed a vacation or something, even a nap at this point would be fine.

While they had been digging into your past, Suho had decided to test you. Maybe you would slip up and tell them something if you were more comfortable, so he gave you some freedom. He let you out of your room and let you be unsupervised, which he was pretty sure nearly killed Saja.

He and the men watched your actions and listened to your words, but you had stuck by what you said, continuing to claim that your father was a businessman. Hell, Suho had begun to think that maybe he was a businessman. You were barely a teenager when your parents died, and you probably cared less about what their jobs were. Plus, the men couldn’t find anyone that knew of you in their world.

How hilarious would it be if you were telling the truth? Suho groaned at the thought. It wouldn’t be hilarious. He’d lose his freaking mind after all this and most likely grab his favorite 12 gauge and start blasting people into the next life.

However, the fact that every single one of their internal radars had been tripped when you talked about your father, made it obvious you were lying. That was how he knew they were on the right track. Suho sighed again, knowing he was gonna have to get answers from you himself.

Your POV

It had been a couple of weeks since D.O.’s blow up, and things had changed, just not how you expected them to. About a week after the incident, the men had begun to let you out of your room. For the most part, you had free reign of the place, but there were certain rooms they kept you out of, which meant you were dying to look in them. You know what they say about curiosity…

You weren’t stupid; however, you knew they were watching your every move. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.

You had hardly seen D.O., Chen, or Sehun. Only caught them leaving a room when you would walk in, which was fine with you. That meant there also weren’t any more threatening visits to your room, so that was nice.

You spent most of your time with Baekhyun and Yixing, along with Chanyeol and Jongin who had unexpectedly told you their names. It had been a peaceful couple of weeks, and the guys had hidden their jobs from you as much as they could, which was good. You hadn’t wanted to see much of their world anyway.

Currently, you were sitting on one of the couches in the living room. You often found yourself drifting into the room, and it had become your favorite spot in the house. You could see the wooded backyard through the tall windows and feel the heat the massive fireplace threw off. It was cozy, and it almost made you feel safe.

“Hey, Y/N.”

You glance up as Yixing walks over to where you were sitting on the couch. A small smile was gracing his face as usual. You looked past him to see Xiumin staring out the window from the entryway, only looking at you for a moment before going back to the window.

He hadn’t been rude to you, but he also didn’t go out of his way to talk to you. You had bravely attempted a conversation one day, and though he politely shut you down, you did happen to catch a small glimpse of intrigue in his eyes, like he was impressed you had the balls to talk to him.

Your eyes wander back over to Yixing before asking, “What’s up?”

“We’re going to the store. Do you want anything?”

Smiling at the offer, you tell him, “No, thanks.”

“Not even those little candies you like? Wow, Y/N, I’m impressed.”

You roll your eyes good-naturedly as he and Xiumin walk away, but before you could go back to your book, you heard a couple of “hey bosses”, and you look up to see Suho enter the room.

As he plopped, yes plopped, down on the couch next to yours, he says, “Hey Y/N. How are you today?”

“I’m alright,” you tell him, closing your book and putting it down on the table, “how are you?”

He opened his mouth to answer and then slowly closed it with an odd look on his face. “I don’t remember the last time someone asked me that…”

Before you could stop it, your jaw drops. “What?”

Giving you a sad smile, he changes the subject. “I’m sorry to keep you here so long. Chen can’t find out anything about you. I think you’re driving him insane.”

“Well, I guarantee you the feelings mutual.”

Suho’s eyes widened at your comment before he suddenly laughed. “You’re definitely not what I expected… I can’t put my finger on it, but you remind me of someone… There’s just something… familiar about you.”

This was the second time Suho had said something like that to you. The first time he brought it up, you thought it was a test, but now you were beginning to wonder who it was that you reminded him of.

“I don’t think we’ve crossed paths before, Suho. I’m pretty sure I’d remember you… A slightly scary man who’s actually, kind of, nice? I don’t think I’d forget someone like that.”

A smile graced his face, and for the first time since you’d been there, it was an honest and genuine smile. It started to tug at your heartstrings, but you mentally stopped yourself from allowing it to take root in your mind.

“It’s kind of chilly, isn’t it…? Perfect weather for a hot chocolate or something...” His eyes glazed over as he looked out the windows before looking at you. “I think I’m gonna make some. Do you want one?”

There was almost a longing in his voice that triggered your own sense of nostalgia, so you nodded your head and watched as he stood up to make the drinks.

As you looked out the window, you wondered how you had ended up like this. In the beginning, you wouldn’t even eat the food, and now one of them was making you a freaking hot chocolate. Do I have Stockholm Syndrome? Is this what it’s like, you question?

You used to be terrified of these men, and now you were oddly comfortable around them… Well, most of them.

Stockholm Syndrome. Must be.

Not long after, Suho carefully walked back into the room with two cups that had a tiny bit of steam coming off them. He slowly handed you a cup and you thanked him.

There was something familiar about this and you quickly identified what it was. He reminded you of your brother and of your birthday tradition.

A smile spread on his face as he looked down at his drink, and you flashed back to the past. Holding your breath, you studied Suho as he allowed you to see a moment of happiness. You had to close your eyes and shake the creative thoughts that were going through your head. Your brother was dead. There was no reason for your father’s men to lie to you.

What would your brother look like as an adult? Would he have gotten taller than you, or would he have stayed on the shorter side? Would he have gotten your fathers' sharp features or softer ones like your mother?

He had been such a happy and carefree teen, that you mourned his lost future. He’d probably be married and have kids by now… Or maybe… he’d take after dad and enter the family business. Your father had always wanted him to, but you had made him swear to you he wouldn’t.

You looked back over at Suho in thought until his phone rang, startling you out of your imagination.

When he answered, it took seconds for the happy expression to be wiped from his face. A worried look took over and you shifted in your seat. Once you heard the words, “are you okay?”, your stomach dropped. Who was hurt?

Before you could think of all the possibilities, the worried look was chased away, and a pissed-off expression took up residence, causing you to set your cup down on the table. Who the hell was he talking to?

Suddenly, he slammed his cup down onto the table, causing hot chocolate to slosh over the rim. When he ended the call, he stared into the fireplace without blinking.

“Suho?” You question, not knowing what else to do.

He turns to you, and in a strained voice says, “I need you to help me round up the guys. Xiumin and Lay were in an accident… Can you tell them to go to the boardroom?”

It took you a second to process what he had said… Accident? Yixing had been in an accident?

As Suho stands up, you scramble up with him. Heart pounding, you wondered how bad it was.

“Are they okay?”

“Please. Can you help me?”

Your throat went dry at his question and the lack of response. His face was pinched, and he looked ready to run out to wherever they were himself.

“I’ll go find whoever’s upstairs.” You tell him in a detached voice.

He nods and both of you quickly take off from the living room, where Suho went left and you went right. Starting up the staircase, you take two steps at a time, going as fast as you can. Suho didn’t say how badly they had been injured, but the look on his face made you not want to waste any time.

You didn’t know who was all upstairs, or if anyone was, but luckily at the top, you found Baekhyun. He stopped walking, surprised by your sudden appearance.

“Y/N, what – “

“Xiumin and Yixing were in an accident. Suho wants everyone in the boardroom.”

Baekhyun’s face went from surprised to worried, and he quickly walked past you to the steps. He turned his head to look at you before going down. “Chanyeol and Sehun are in Chan’s room.”

Thanking him, you turn and take off, knowing that Chanyeol’s room was only a couple of doors down from yours. With your pace, it only took you a few seconds to get there.

Once you reached his door, you didn’t even knock. You turned the handle and pushed his door open in one fluid movement. Both men whipped towards the door when it flew open, and when they saw you, surprise colored their faces.

Sehun’s expression immediately turned scornful, but before he could open his mouth and say something stupid, you cut him off.

“You guys need to go down to the boardroom. Yixing and Xiumin were in an accident.”

You watch the color drain from Sehun’s face as Chanyeol immediately jumps into action. Quickly pulling himself together, Sehun stands and follows him. They take off from the room and head to the stairs, and as you are about to follow them, indecision strikes.

You did exactly what Suho asked, but he never said anything about you joining them. However, you needed to know if they were okay. You couldn’t stand by and wait to find out from someone else what had happened.

A large hand wraps around your wrist, and you look up to see Chanyeol pulling you toward the stairs. Getting your head together, you pick up the pace to keep up with his long legs.

“You care about him too. You should be there.” He tells you in a gruff voice.

When you get to the room, everyone is there. Some sitting, some pacing, but they were all anxious. Suho was on the phone again, standing behind his chair.

The second he hung up, Jongin asks, “Are they okay?”

“They’re pretty beat up, but luckily it's nothing fatal. We need to get there quickly though, Lay said Xiumin is pretty out of it, but he didn’t sound that great himself.”

Everyone tried to process his words. They were okay right now, but it was obvious that one or both had head wounds from the sounds of it.

“What the hell happened?” Sehun growls.

Suho pulls his chair back and drops down, anger radiating off him, as a look of hatred crosses his face. “They were run off the road. By Baem soldiers.”

Curses and mutters fill the room, and a sinking feeling starts in your stomach.

Chanyeol was standing at the edge of the table, leaning down on his hands when he looked up. “Was there a message?”

Suho shakes his head before his eyes land on you. “Since the same incident happened with Y/N, I can only assume it’s connected to her.”

Dread knots in your stomach, and you whisper, “This was because of me…?”

“Of course, it was.” D.O. snarls from across the room.

Baekhyun, who had been sitting in a chair drumming his fingers on the table, turns to look at D.O. leaning against the wall. “Don’t act like they never attacked us before her.”

Suho immediately slams his hands onto the table. “We are not doing this bullshit right now. Loey and Saja, go meet them at the scene and bring them home. Chen, locate their exact position for them and go through the footage of the dashcam. Baek, prep the medical room. We don’t know the severity of their injuries, so plan for anything. Kai and D.O., follow the cousins and clean up. If the police show up, talk to the captain, you know he’s an ally.”

Holy crap. They had the police in their pocket? Your mind tripped over that while you watched the men plan their moves. You’d give them one thing, EXO was efficient and Suho knew how to compartmentalize and delegate work.

As the men set off to do what they were told to, Baekhyun approached you.

“Y/N, can you come help me, please?” He says, holding a hand out to you.

You take his hand without a thought and follow him down to the medical room. His hand was sure, calm, unlike the other guys who were too pissed or worried to be calm.

You hadn’t been down to the medical room since you had first arrived here, so when he opened the door, your eyes zeroed in on the hospital bed you had been strapped to. You hadn’t realized you had stopped walking until you felt Baekhyun tug on your hand, snapping you back. You pushed aside the anger and fear of being in that room and went to work.

The two of you got the room prepped just in time. Not a second after you set the last bandage on the tray table, a group of men spilled into the room, causing your eyes to widen.

Suho and Sehun each had Xiumin’s arms around their shoulders as they dragged him into the room. Xiumin’s head was down, and you could tell from his limp form that he had fallen unconscious. Blood speckled his face from a multitude of cuts and his right arm was bent at an odd angle. You quickly moved out of the way as they pulled him over to a bed and laid him on it.

Not far behind the trio, Chanyeol was carrying a nearly passed out Yixing. His face was covered in blood from an open gash on his forehead that was pumping it out. As Chanyeol walked closer to you, your eyes became even with Yixing’s leg, and you could see part of his bone had broken through the skin and was sticking out.

As Chanyeol put him on a bed, Yixing’s eyes found yours and he tried to shoot a smile your way.

“It’s gonna be okay.” He says before his eyes shut and his body slumps. You took a step toward him, but you knew he had passed out as well. Your round eyes found Baekhyun’s across the room and he immediately started to tend to Xiumin.

“Everyone out. I’ll find you when I’m done.”

When the boys nod and slowly begin trekking out, you turn to follow until Baek’s voice stops you.

“Not you. I need help.”

You had thought your eyes couldn’t widen any further, but they surprised you. You didn’t know the first thing about stitching someone up or setting a bone, you’d be useless and in the way. “From me? Why me?”

“The guys are too amped up from this. I need someone calmer.”

You must’ve hesitated because he gentles his voice and says, “Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through everything.”

Somewhat reluctantly, you spent the next couple hours helping Baekhyun tend to the men. The two of you had come up with a system that you were pretty happy with. While he reset bones and stitched up skin, you followed behind and cleaned the wounds, as well as the cuts they had from the glass and the dried blood that had gathered.

As you were cleaning up Xiumin’s face, he came back to. You watched as he took in his surroundings and began to relax when he realized where he was. He slowly turned his head to look over at Baekhyun as he stitched up the wound on Yixing’s forehead, then he turned back to you.

“Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine.” You nod, and almost as an afterthought, you add, “You both will.”

He nods and looks up at the ceiling while you awkwardly sit next to him. You didn’t really want to clean his face while he watched you, but it needed to be done.

“May I?” You ask, gesturing to his face.

His eyes find yours and he gives you a nod, so you went back to work.

When you and Baekhyun were done, and the boys were cleaned up, you could see the injuries weren’t as bad as they had originally looked. They were cut up and Baekhyun said they probably both had concussions. Yixing’s left leg was wrapped in a giant, white cast, while Xiumin’s right arm sported a matching one.

Yixing had woken up and both men watched as you fluttered around with Baekhyun and cleaned up. It felt good to be able to help them and to be an asset since this was probably your fault in some way.

Once you were done, you turned back to look at them and found Yixing giving you a small smile.

“Thank you, nurse.”

Surprising him and yourself, you threw your arms around his neck and hugged him. He made a sound, and you were probably hurting him, but he slowly put his arm around you and hugged your back.

“I’m okay.” He tells you, patting your back.

You nod and pull away, only slightly embarrassed that the other two men were watching. You hear movement behind you and see Xiumin attempting to sit up while Baekhyun fought to stop him. Xiumin swatted his good arm at Baekhyun until the tired man gave up and backed away.

Once he was sitting up, Xiumin cleared his throat and looked at you. “Thank you, Y/N, for helping us and Baek.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Xiumin.” You offer him a smile.

He tilts his head as you smile at him, a look of hesitation crossing his features. “I think Suho was right about you. Especially after what just happened. They want you. You’re important to them. I just hope you’re not hiding the reason why from us.”

You didn’t know what to say, so you nodded. You were hiding the reason. Your family was killed by the mafia, and once you figured out which group, then you’d let the truth out, but not before.


	7. Part 7

Xiumin's POV

As soon as Baekhyun cleared him from medical, Xiumin set off to find Suho. He knew he should've told him everything on the phone, but he had wanted to get out of that situation before more of those snakes showed up. Xiumin had been having a hard time seeing straight and Lay had been going in and out of consciousness, so if the Baem had decided to circle back and off them, they would've been royally screwed.

Luckily, neither of them were in super rough shape. A couple broken bones, but nothing they hadn't dealt with before.

As he slowly made his way through the house to Suho's office, he replayed everything in his mind on a loop. The situation with you had become slightly more complicated, and Suho and Xiumin needed to talk it through.

Once he got to the office, he knocked on the wooden door and heard Suho's gruff "come in" before he pushed the door open. He looked at his best friend, who was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. A little glass of Soju sat beside his arm, and the man looked exhausted. When he looked up and saw Xiumin, he leaned back into his chair and gave him a once over.

"How are you?"

"Living and breathing like always."

"Baek finally let you out?"

Xiumin smiled as he walked over to one of the two chairs in front of Suho's desk. "You know how he is. He wants to make sure we're 100% and that we won't die if he's not in the room."

A small smile graced Suho's face before he wiped it off. "What happened, Min?"

Xiumin lowered himself into one of the chairs with his good hand before meeting his best friend's eyes. "They must've been waiting for us outside of the store. We noticed the Escalade that was following us, and we planned for the normal maneuver. What we didn't plan for was the fucking minivan to be more Baem soldiers."

Suho blinked before saying, "Do not tell me you were run off the road by a fucking minivan."

"Of course not. Give us some fucking credit." Xiumin scoffed before continuing his story. "I don't know exactly what happened since I was watching the Escalade, but bottom line, we got boxed in and then driven off the road."

"What was the point in all of this?" Suho asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"They're toying with us."

"How do you figure?"

"Because they left a message," Xiumin told him, meeting his stare.

Suho sat up in his chair, eyes sharpening. "You said there wasn't a message."

"I wanted to get the fuck out of there. The message could wait. The reason I know they're messing with us is because we're still alive. Think about it, how would you leave your enemy a message?"

"I'd carve it into their dead bodies," Suho replied, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Exactly. You wouldn't have multiple men purposely leave two injured soldiers alive to 'pass along' a message unless you were having fun, especially if one of those men happened to be the boss's second."

Suho sat still for a second, considering what Xiumin had said, before mumbling "son of a bitch", and grabbing the glass of liquid at his arm, downing it all in one gulp. Once he finished, he set the glass down and took a deep breath before looking back at Xiumin. "What was the message?"

"...That we should ask the Elders who she is, and once they tell us, we'll probably drop her off at their doorstep."

Suho was quiet for another moment, his eyes searching Xiumin's to see if he was serious.

"What the fuck kind of dumbass message is that? Is that supposed to be some reverse psychology bullshit?"

Xuimin shrugged his shoulders, completely agreeing with Suho. It was one of the lamest "threat" messages they'd ever received. Xiumin would've laughed in his face if he hadn't been so dizzy. Even if the Elders told them who you were, they certainly wouldn't give you to the Baem. They'd kill you instead. It'd be a kinder mercy.

Suho sighed. "I was already questioning if we should ask the elders about her, but now we clearly don't have a choice."

Xiumin closed his eyes and tipped his head back, knowing he would see daddy dearest soon.

"I'll call him in, so don't worry about it."

Xiumin felt a little relief escaping that phone call, but there was no way to avoid his father. The second would have to be in the meeting with Suho.

Y/N's POV

You waited until the next day to go visit Yixing. Much to Baekhyun's dismay, neither of the men would stay the night in medical. They both stubbornly went back to their bedrooms to sleep, so it wasn't a long trip down the hallway before you were knocking on his door.

"Come in."

You gently push open the door and peek your head around the corner. Yixing was sitting in his bed, back propped against the headboard with a book in his hand. The blankets were pulled over him like he was cold, even though the temperature of the room was the exact opposite.

A small smile spread on his face as he saw it was you, which you took as permission to walk into his room. His face was paler than normal, and a large, white bandage was placed on his forehead over where he received stitches.  
Wandering over to the chair between his bed and the window, you ask how he's feeling as you sit down.

"I've been better, but I'm fine. A little sore here and there, but that's to be expected."

You nod, eyes finding the bandage on his forehead again. Was this your fault, or was this because the two groups already hated each other?

"Thank you for helping out Baekhyun yesterday. It was really cool of you to do that, and he was super grateful."

Baekhyun had thanked you nearly five times before you went into your bedroom last night, even though you told him multiple times you didn't need to be thanked, so you knew he was glad he had your help. "I'm happy I was able to help him in some way. Especially if..."

"It wasn't your fault, Y/N. We've been dealing with these idiots for years."

Something in his tone caught your attention. He sounded tired, irritated, and older than he was. ...How long has he been in EXO? And why on Earth did this man join a mafia group or whatever they called themselves? Yixing was one of the nicest men you've ever met. Nicer than some of the guys you've worked with over your varying jobs. So, how did he end up in this life?

"Can I ask you a personal question...?"

Curiosity fills his face as he slightly tilts his head to the side. "Of course."

You hesitate before asking, but the words find their way out of your mouth. "How did you end up in this life?"

His eyes drift down before he turns his head straight and looks at the wall. He was quiet for so long that you wondered if he would answer you.

"It's just that... before, you said you knew how I was feeling better than anyone..." You trail off.

He turns his head back to you and takes a deep breath. "Before I say anything, I should tell you that I'm with EXO by choice. I want to be here."

You nod your head, wondering what he was going to say. Why would he start the story with a disclaimer? Did the same thing that happened to you happen to him? Did he feel like he owed EXO and so he stayed with them?

"I can see the wheels turning in your head, and no. What I'm going to tell you is not about EXO. I came to them, not the other way around."

Your eyes widen slightly. Why would he seek out EXO?

He paused before giving a little nod of his head like he was giving himself permission to tell you. "About eight years ago, I was kidnapped by another gang."

Your eyes were full-blown saucers now. Did you just hear that right? "You were kidnapped?"

Nodding, he says, "I was a med student in my second year of residency. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon and help save lives... Some random gang grabbed me and forced me into fixing one of their men, who was bleeding out in the back seat of their SUV. I did what I was told, hoping they'd let me live or let me go, but they decided they needed someone with medical training to be with them. So, they kept me locked up on their property.  
I stitched them up and saved them whenever they were badly injured for three years. I was constantly looking for a way to escape, but to them, I acted like I wanted to be there. There were a couple of the men I grew acquainted with and they eventually grew careless around me. They stopped watching me as much and weren't making sure I was 'secured' in my room like they should've been. One day, I was finally able to get free of them, and I ran like hell."

You were shocked at his story of being held captive for three years, and it must've shown on your face.

"Don't pity me. That was years ago."

With a nod of your head, you quietly ask, "What happened after you escaped?"

"While I was with them, they would talk openly about their plans. They probably thought I was never going to escape, so they didn't bother hiding anything. They mentioned EXO countless times. They had plans to take over their position in the mafia world, and they weren't quiet about any of it. I found out the names of the EXO members and the locations of their shipments pretty quickly, and once I was free, I went to one of their pick up points. Of course, Jongin nearly shot me on the spot because I was an unknown, but I told them I had information and that I wanted to speak to Suho."

"You told EXO about the other groups' plans." You state, impressed.

"Not just that. I told them everything. Every single piece of information I learned about the group and the members. All I asked for in exchange was protection from them."

"What'd EXO do?"

"Once they verified what they could prove, they knew I was telling the truth. They offered me protection, and Suho gave me the option to get some revenge."

You swallow to wet your dry throat. You were so enthralled with what he was telling you that you were nearly on the edge of your seat. "Did you?"

He nods. "I helped EXO completely decimate them. Their members were killed, and their business was taken over by EXO. The group no longer exists."

Holy... EXO was insanely powerful if they could wipe out the existence of another group, and that power left you speechless.

You study Yixing as he picks at his blanket. This poor man was kidnapped and held hostage for years. He had no connections to the mafia world, no ties to drag him in. He was completely innocent, and yet he still ended up in this world. Maybe you really couldn't ever escape the mafia... Your heart ached for the younger version of him, but you knew this version of him wouldn't want your sympathy.

This version of Yixing sought out one of the most powerful groups in the game.

He was a fighter, a survivor, and a healer all at once.

"Do you regret anything?"

"No." He responds quickly. "I've made my peace with everything I've done, and I would do it all over again without a single thought."

You look down and nod at his fierce words, but his next statement brought your head up again.

"I don't want you to think any differently of me. I'm certainly not the ambitious dreamer I use to be, but I'm not a monster either."

"I never thought you were a monster, and your history doesn't change anything. It only gives me a better understanding of you and your actions."

Yixing looks back down at the blanket and nods. "Thank you for understanding."

There was one more thing you had to ask before you would let the conversation drop. "How come you stayed with EXO afterward?"

"...After the whole thing happened... I was too different to attempt to go back to my old life. I had seen and heard so many horrible things, that there was no way for me to pretend this world didn't exist again. After we wiped that group out, Suho offered me a position with EXO. Their medical person had been killed and Baekhyun was struggling trying to learn everything he needed to know. I can't really explain it to you where it will make sense, but I felt like being with EXO was where I needed to be, so I accepted the position and was brought into the fold."

You nod, digesting his reasoning, but your mind had wandered elsewhere. Yixing was right when he told you he understood. Both of you were kidnapped and held hostage against your wills. The difference was when he had the chance to escape, he took it and destroyed his captors.

You, on the other hand, had an ample amount of opportunity to leave, but you stayed. The only part left unwritten for you so far was the ending. Would you stay with EXO in the end?

Or would you destroy them?


	8. Part 8

For the rest of the day, you thought about Yixing's past. It brought up a lot of feelings for you that you didn’t want to name. You couldn't help but wonder what his family thought... Did they know about what had happened to him? Did they think he was missing... or dead?

It really bugged you that you hadn't asked about them. As the last surviving member of your family, it would've killed you if you didn't know what had happened to them or where they were.

Pulling back your covers, you slide into your bed and pull the blanket up to your chin, a habit you had started after... that night.

If your parents were still alive, what would your life be like? Like this? With your father keeping you locked away and protected from other mafia groups?

Reaching into your pillowcase, you search for your necklace and loosely grip it, finding comfort in it. You let yourself relax and eventually fall asleep, not even remotely surprised when you dream about your family.

__________________________________

You were upstairs in your room, listening to music through your headphones when your mother barged in. You spun around in your desk chair, ripping the headphones out to ask her what was wrong when a loud bang came from downstairs.

You look up at your mother and see pure terror taking over her beautiful face.

"Mom? -"

She quickly put a finger up to her lips to shush you and rushed over to your chair, grabbing you in a death grip you didn't know she was capable of, and pushing you across the room.

"We need to be quiet, baby, okay?" She whispers as she opens your closet door and pushes you inside. "I need you to stay in here and be as quiet as you can. Don't make a single sound, no matter what you hear. Do you understand?"

Her stunning eyes frantically searched yours, hoping you would understand and listen to her. The banging downstairs became louder, and you could start making out voices as whoever it was came up the stairs.

Realization finally dawned on you as you realized your father's work had found its way to your home.

Nodding your head at your mother, you begin to scoot over and make room for her in the closet, but she grips your arms and stops you. You look up at her in confusion, and your heart stops when she begins shaking her head.

She wasn't going to join you in the closet.

Panic immediately overwhelms you, and you try to plead with her. "Mom, no please - "

"Shh, baby, you're going to be okay."

"But mom - "

"I love you, sweetheart. Never forget that."

She leaned in and kissed you on your forehead as tears trailed down your face.

Your mother was sacrificing herself to save you.

She pulled back and looked at your face, and you quickly mouthed an "I love you" to her. As she quietly closed the closet door, steely determination shut over her eyes. You watched through the slotted closet door as she rushed over to your desk and pulled out a piece of paper.

As she scribbled something down, your bedroom door flew open and bounced off the wall with a loud crack. Both you and your mother jumped at the sound and watched as two unfamiliar men dressed in all black walked into the room. Sick smiles spreading on their faces at the sight of your mother.

"Gotcha."

"Writing a letter to your daughter? Don't bother, because as soon as we're finished with you, we're gonna do the same exact thing to her."

Your eyes widened in terror as you watched the men grab your mom and tie her up to the chair you had been sitting on two minutes ago. She tried to fight back, but her small frame was no match for them, even with all of the defensive training she had learned.

"I've been waiting for this moment for so long. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do." The first male said.

You looked on in horror as the second man pulled out a knife and slowly pushed it into your mom's thigh. She bit her lip in pain but refused to cry out, causing the man to smirk.

"Oh yeah, this will be fun."

The first man brought his arm up, a knife in his hand as well, and slammed it into her other thigh.

_____________________________

A scream erupted from your throat as firm hands shake you awake.

"Y/N!"

You slap at the hands of the man above you as he tries to calm you down.

"It's me! It's Baekhyun!"

Losing the fight, you slowly put your arms down as his words process in your head.

"Baek?" You whimper, still half stuck in the nightmare that had possessed you.

With your eyes still squeezed shut, you feel him gather you up into his arms and lightly rock you. His chin resting on top of your head, you can feel the rumble of his words through his chest.

"It's okay. It was just a dream. You're okay." He softly tells you over and over.

A dream. It was just a dream. You feel your body begin to shake as tears racked their way through. It wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. It was the last memory you had of your mother alive. You bury your head in Baekhyun's chest as he continues to gently rock you, and desperately try to forget the memory and the screams that erupted from her mouth that night.

You didn't know how long the two of you stayed like that, but eventually, you were able to calm yourself down. Baekhyun quietly held you but calmly reassured you every so often. Admittedly, you stayed in his arms longer than necessary, loving the feeling of being comforted and protected. The last time you had felt this was when your parents were alive, and you clung to it like a life preserver.

Eventually, you had to let him go and face whatever questions he had for you, so you take a breath and slowly pull yourself away from him. Covering your face with your hands, you try to laugh.

"Well, that's slightly embarrassing..."

You feel his hand gently tuck your hair behind your ear. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I'm pretty sure the snot on your shirt would disagree with that." You tell him, peeking out from behind your hands.

His lips tilt up at the corner of his mouth. "Nothing a good wash can't fix."

Sighing, you pull your hands away from your face. As you slowly look at him, you realize you probably looked like a mess. Sleep hair, puffy eyes, and who knows what else you had going on.

Baekhyun bites his lip with hesitation. "Do you want to talk about it?"

For a split second, you consider it. Truly consider it. Baekhyun already held one of your secrets with his knowledge of your necklace, but you knew you couldn't say anything yet.

"Not right now..."

"Alright, but if you ever want to..."

"Thanks, Baekhyun." You nod before a thought popped into your head. "How did you know I was having a nightmare?"

"I could hear you through the wall." He tells you while nodding at the wall behind your head.

Remembering his room was next door, your cringe, "I was that loud?"

He shrugs, a small smile playing on his lips. "Maybe, I'm just a light sleeper."

Turning your head, you look at the clock and see 3:57 staring at you with glaring, red numbers. No wonder you still felt exhausted. You had hardly slept.

Baekhyun rises from your bed and moves over to the chair, causing your attention to move back to him.

"Go ahead and try to go back to sleep. I'll stay here until you do."

"You don't have to..." You tell him, even though you really hoped he would stay. There was no way you would fall back asleep after that if you were by yourself. You would stay up, thinking about the memory over and over again.

"I know... but I want to, so lay down..."

You smile at the slight bossy tone his voice took, but you do what he says anyway, and snuggle back under the covers.

Baekhyun's POV

Baekhyun was laying in his bed, tossing and turning, no chance of sleep in sight. Suho had called a meeting earlier to inform everyone that some of the Elders were coming, and to say that none of them were thrilled was an understatement. They all had their own issues with the Elders, especially him, Xiumin, and Jongin, but none of them could stand being around the pompous pricks.

He hated them, every last one of them. He hated that they were even breathing if he was honest with himself. They were useless, and they did nothing but piss everyone off. When the Baem killed his sister, the Elders didn't think it was "worth it" to attack them. After all, she was only a girl, and it was really her husband that they cared about. Unfortunately, his brother-in-law wasn't around anymore, and he never made it to see EXO get revenge for her. It was all a damn shame. It sh-

A noise behind the wall stole his attention from his inner ramblings. What was that, he wondered. Sitting up in bed, Baekhyun trained his ears to figure out what that sound was. Was that a whimper? What the heck was he hearing?

He stood up from his bed and moved closer to the wall. Whatever the sound was, it was coming from your room. Holding his breath, he put his ear up to the wall, feeling like a total creeper, but what if you had hurt yourself? Or Sehun had snuck into your room again?

Suddenly, you let out what was a mix between a cry and a yelp, and before Baekhyun knew it, he was running out of his room and into yours. When he ran in, he saw you thrashing around on the bed, but you were the only one in the room. Quickly realizing you were having a nightmare, he went over to the bed and tried to wake you, but you were in too deep of a sleep. Once he heard the word "mom" come out, he knew what the nightmare was about.

"Y/N..." He tried, lightly shaking your shoulder.

When you didn't wake up, he gripped you firmer and loudly said your name. Thankfully you woke up that time, but there was a look of extreme pain and pure horror in your eyes, and Baekhyun knew you didn't know what was going on.

Once you finally realized it was a dream, you squeezed your eyes shut, saying his name with a pain-filled voice, and he immediately pulled you into his arms, cradling your head into his chest.

He held you until you stopped and then promised you he'd stay the night there until you fell asleep, and he did. He sat in the chair next to your bed and lightly hummed until you fell asleep, and before he knew it, he fell asleep too.

Y/N's POV

When you wake up, the first thing you do is stretch out the kinks from your thrashing episode. You knew immediately that your whole mood had been affected by the nightmare. Your skin felt tight on your body, and you felt weird. There was no other way to describe it.

You hadn't dreamt about that night in so long... you almost wondered if you had finally moved past it, but talking to Yixing about his past must've brought up some seriously buried emotions.

Shamefully, you had forgotten how beautiful your mother was. Actually, you were reluctant to admit it, but you tried to forget about the past. You didn't want to remember what your family looked like. You remembered small details, but their faces were nearly blurred because it was almost easier to forget the pain that way...

A groan came from your left, and you look over to the chair in your room to see Baekhyun waking up. He must've fallen asleep there after he woke you up last night... Although, you had no idea how he managed to because those chairs weren't the comfiest things.

If he hadn't woken you up last night... Would you have had to relive the entire traumatic experience? Just the thought of that possibility made you want to run screaming or give Baekhyun all the money in your bank account as a thank you. That dream really messed you up, and though you knew you had it because you learned about Yixing’s past, you were still happy that he shared it with you. It made so much more sense now why he had always stuck up for you, but... he hadn't been the only one...

Baekhyun had been there for you just as much.

What was his past? You didn't know much about his history, but you knew right away he and Yixing were different than the others. You doubted that two men had been kidnapped by different groups and both ended up in EXO, so how did he end up here?

"Do you always stare at people when they sleep?" Baekhyun jokes.

His voice startles you out of your thoughts, and you realize that you had been staring at him the whole time.

"I'm sorry..." You tell him, slightly embarrassed. "I spaced out..."

"Nothing to apologize for... Are you okay?"

"I... it was a dream... about my mom... about her dying..."

Baekhyun was silent for a moment before letting out a soft, "I'm sorry..."

"Honestly... I just want to forget about it... Can you distract me?"

His eyebrows raise at your request before he winks at you. "How would you like me to distract you?"

Your eyes widen slightly at his hidden implication. "Well, that's a good way to do it."

He gives you a beautiful, genuine smile, and it transforms his face. He looked nearly five years younger at that moment.

"Well, is there any burning question that you've been dying to ask me?" He teases you.

Even if he was just messing with you, two thoughts immediately popped into your head, and you suddenly desperately wanted to ask him. You sit up in your bed and face him, crossing your legs into a more comfortable position.

"What if I had two burning questions?"

Baekhyun looked surprised for a few seconds, and then he leaned back into the chair. "Ask away then."

"When I first came here... you ate my potatoes..." You trail off, not knowing why that was the way you began the question.

"That doesn't sound like a question..."

You look up at him and see another smile gracing his face and a hint of laughter behind his eyes. You shake your head and try to organize your thoughts.

"I mean... why did you?"

He shrugs his shoulders like it wasn't a big deal to him. "To show you that nobody poisoned them."

"Yeah, but how did you know nobody did?"

An uncomfortable look crosses his face, and he begins rubbing the back of his neck. "...I didn't really..."

Your eyes nearly bug out of your head. No freaking way. "You didn't know if someone messed with my food, but you ate it anyway?"

"I mean... I had hoped someone would stop me..."

Your mouth falls open in disbelief, causing him to look away with an embarrassed expression.

"What was your other question?"

Looking down, you begin picking at your blanket before asking, "Why did you join EXO?"

He turns his head back towards you and meets your eyes. "Because my brother-in-law was an idiot."

Brother-in-law? He has a sister? And why did he use the past tense when he called him an idiot?

"...I have so many questions."

Baekhyun laughs before saying, "My brother-in-law was a member of EXO... He was killed on a mission a few years ago..."

"...What happened?"

He shrugs his shoulders and looks at the ground. "None of our men made it back, so we don't really know, but we have some guesses and none of them are good. We lost five members that day, and my brother and Chanyeol's brother were two of them."

You let out a soft gasp before you could stop yourself, causing Baekhyun to glance up at you. Chanyeol had a brother who was a member too? And they both died?

"I'm sorry... your poor sister..."

Baekhyun's eyes drop back down to his lap, and he begins picking at his nails. He was clearly upset, but you didn't know what had changed.

"Baekhyun?"

Still not looking up, he quietly says, "My sister passed away before that."

Your hands fly up to your mouth before you can stop them. "Baekhyun, I'm so sorry... I didn't know - "

"It's fine. There’s no way you could know, so don't worry about it..." He sighs, "I guess I should probably start at the beginning since I've nowhere near answered your question."

"You don't have to... I didn't mean to bring all this up..."

He was silent for a minute, debating on if he wanted to tell you his story. "Do you want to know?..."

You consider his question. You absolutely wanted to know, but was it fair to him? To put him through such a horrible experience when you yourself had been through something traumatic? You were sure Baekhyun wanted to know your story, but you weren't ready to tell it. What if he wasn't ready either though?... So many thoughts were running through your mind.

"I would like to know... but you don't have to tell me..."

He stares past your head, out your window for a few seconds, before responding. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about it... I don't know if I ever really did..."

He cleared his throat and then launched into his story. "My older sister Jisoo started dating Minhyuk when they were in high school. When they went to college, Minhyuk was studying to be a doctor. He had a good head on his shoulders, and our mother loved him, but his best friend was, what I called, a loser. Turned out he was a member of EXO. Somehow he eventually talked Minhyuk into dropping out of school and joining EXO, and like a moron, he did."

"Your sister stayed with him?"

Baekhyun nods before continuing. "She hated that he was in this world and despised his best friend, but she still loved him, so she stayed with him. We both spent countless hours trying to talk some sense into him, but he was dead set on being a member of EXO. He was only with the group for a couple of years, when the Baem put a hit out on Jisoo."

"The Baem?" Your heart thudded. The Baem had killed his sister?

"Mhmm. I told you we've been dealing with them forever. Before most of us were even members... Anyway, they killed my sister and made it look like a car accident, but we knew what had really happened. After she died, Min lost his shit. He was hellbent on avenging her, and that was his right as her husband. There were attacks on both sides for a while, and then the Baem put a hit out on me. A lot of the members knew I was Jisoo's brother, so Minhyuk was able to make a deal. If I joined EXO, I'd be protected. Min and I fought about it for days. I didn't want to join the mafia. I didn't want anything to do with it. All I wanted was to make music."

You quickly made a mental note to ask him about that later. "What changed that?"

Rubbing at his chest unconsciously, he says, "They shot me."

"Who did what?" You say, voice filled with shock.

"A Baem soldier attempted to carry out the hit. Luckily for me, he was a shit shot. Min was able to save me and fix the wound. After that, he didn't give me a choice. He forced me to join EXO."

"Is that why you ended up being the medical person? Because of him?"

"Yeah. He was the only medical person we had, so he attempted to teach me everything. He's the only reason I know anything about all of that stuff, and when he died, I had to take over until Yixing came. I was so thankful when he joined."

"So, Yixing took over Minhyuk's position... Is that why you two are so close?"

He thinks about it, before nodding. "It's definitely part of it. Another reason is that we're the only two who didn't want anything to do with the mafia, but apparently, the mafia world had other ideas."

The mafia world was such a bitch. It ruined lives, and it didn't care. It didn't care if it stole your loved ones or you, just as long as the groups kept getting what they wanted, it would keep existing.

Quietly, you ask, "Why didn't you ever leave after that?"

He meets your stare head-on, and in a serious tone says, "You don't leave the mafia. The only way out is death. Also, for a while, I wanted to get back at them for taking my family away from me, but then I thought about my mom. My dad wasn't in the picture and I was all she had left. I couldn't risk doing something stupid and leaving her on her own."

The words that left his mouth made your heart stutter. Baekhyun still had his mom after all of that, and you were suddenly so grateful that he still had her. You would give almost anything to have your mother back...

"Do you still talk to your mom?"

"I talk to her a couple of times a week." He says, nodding.

"Does she know?..."

"Unfortunately, she knows enough to be worried about me, but I try to keep most of it hidden from her. Growing up, she gave my sister and I everything, and I already feel like I failed her by not making something of myself."

Your heart was breaking the longer you listened to his story. He lost everyone except his mother, and he felt like he wasn't a good enough son for her... That's all any child wants to do is make their parents proud of them.

"Were you and your sister close?"

He smiles at a memory that must've popped up. "I was the annoying, younger brother who liked to give her shit, but she would kick anyone's ass if they tried to mess with me."

You smile with him. Their relationship reminded you of the relationship you once had with your brother. Not that you could tell him that, since they all still thought you were an only child, but a part of you wanted to. A part of you wanted to trade stories with Baekhyun about your lost siblings...

Baekhyun shakes his head. "I'm sorry... I don't know why I'm telling you my whole life story. I know you only asked about why I joined EXO."

"No, I'm glad you're telling me all of this. Thank you for sharing it with me..."

He continued to look at you for a moment. He looked like he was about to say something, so you prepared yourself for whatever.

"Y/N, I -"

Your bedroom door slowly began opening causing both of you to stop and watch it. You tensed for a moment, not sure who it was or why they were opening the door so slowly, and you could tell Baekhyun did the same.

When Chanyeol's head popped around the corner, you both visibly relaxed.

"So, you are in here, Baek, I was looking for you. Morning, Y/N."

"Sorry, Chan, what's up?"

Chanyeol hesitated a moment and glanced at you before meeting Baekhyun's eyes.

"The Elders are here."


	9. Part 9

So many things ran through your mind at Chanyeol's statement, but the two main thoughts were: Who the heck were the Elders, and why did Chanyeol and Baekhyun suddenly look like they were ready to attack someone?

Chanyeol seemed hesitant to tell Baekhyun they were here, but he had a nervous edge to himself as well. He was lightly bouncing on his feet, like he was ready to spring into action in case shit went down.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, had frozen at the edge of his seat. His eyebrows were drawn down, and his hands had gripped the armrests tightly. He vacantly looked past you and stared out of your window.

"What's happening?" You ask them in a confused tone.

Both men snap out of their stupor and look over at you. You could tell they had momentarily forgotten you were there, so you tried again.

"Who are the Elders?"

Chanyeol cleared his throat and turned to you. "They're older members of EXO, like the last generation before we took over."

"If they're older EXO members, then why do you both look like you want to fight them? Aren't you all on the same side?"

"I'd die before I was on the same side as them," Baekhyun says in a deadly tone.

You were taken back by his words and the fierceness behind them. At first, it seemed like a dramatic statement, but Baekhyun was far from a dramatic person. Why did he hate them so much?

Looking up at Chanyeol for some type of help, you catch him glance down at Baekhyun and bite his lip. He sighs before looking back at you.

"Long story short. The Elders are Grade A assholes. There are a couple of them who are good, but most of them are pieces of shit, for lack of better words."

"But they're older EXO members... even if they were shitty, shouldn't you guys be on the same side?"

Both men make noises of disagreement at your question, letting you know you were making the wrong conclusions. Baekhyun leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling, while Chanyeol drops down on your bed with a sigh.

"Remember how I was telling you about my sister? How she died?" Baekhyun quietly asks you.

Beside you, you felt Chanyeol stiffen, and before you could answer Baekhyun, he blurts out, "You told her about Jisoo?"

You look over at Chanyeol, but his wide eyes were glued to Baekhyun. If Chanyeol sounded anymore surprised, you'd swear he'd pass out from shock or something.

"Jisoo, Minhyuk, me..."

Chanyeol slowly turned to you with big eyes at Baekhyun's words. The man was clearly beyond shocked that Baekhyun had told you about his past, but you couldn't figure out why. Does Baekhyun not tell anyone about it?

"Do you have some type of magical powers?" Chanyeol asks you.

Before you could think of an answer or dwell on why he was so shocked, Baekhyun brought you both back on course.

"Anyways. After the Baem killed her, Minhyuk petitioned the Elders to a disperdam totum, which basically means he wanted to destroy them. The Elders refused to let him do that, and they even refused to let EXO retaliate in any way. The Elders denying Minhyuk his right to avenge his wife is what caused the group of our guys to go out on their own, and they were all killed."

You tried to put the whole story in order in your head. "Okay... let me get this straight... The Baem killed Jisoo. Minhyuk wanted revenge, but the Elders refused him. EXO continued to carry out attacks, without the permission of the Elders, and your brothers went on an unauthorized mission where they were killed. Sound about right?"

Once they nod, you continue. "So, why didn't the Elders let Minhyuk avenge her?"

Through gritted teeth, Baekhyun answered you. "Because she was a girl."

"What?"

"The Elders see girls as expendable. They're useless and here to make the men happy, that's all."

"They're traditionalists," Chanyeol adds.

The feeling of dislike began in your stomach, and you could understand their hatred of them. A girl doesn't deserve justice when she's murdered? It's the freaking 2000's. Shouldn't we be past all that bullshit by now?

Another thought occurred to you. Why were they here? Because of you? If they didn't care about a member's wife, then you stood no freaking chance with them.

"They're here for me, aren't they?" You ask, waiting for them to confirm your suspicions.

"Suho called them in, but don't worry, Suho won't let anything happen to you." Chanyeol tries to reassure you.

Letting out a quiet scoff, you say, "Suho barely likes me, and it sounds like he has no say over the Elders."

"Well, then we won't let anything happen to you," Baekhyun says.

Chanyeol carries on for him. "Suho has more authority now. Back then, the Elders didn't care much about his opinion because he was younger, but now he's the leader, and he has the final say."

A sick feeling joined the dislike in your stomach. "This isn't going to be pretty, is it?"

"Not at all." Chanyeol snorts.

Baekhyun leans forward in his chair and meets your stare. "Before we go down there, there's more you should know. The Elders didn't only screw with Minhyuk, Xiumin and Jongin are targets of theirs also."

"Wait, but Xiumin's the second? How could they have an issue with him?" You ask.

"His father is one of the Elders. He took over after Suho's father, the previous leader, was killed until Suho took power." Chanyeol informs you.

A memory of Suho saying he had a similar situation to yours resurfaced. If his father was killed, then it was more similar to yours than he realized.

"If his father is one of the Elders, wouldn't Xiumin be on their good side then? Why would he target his own son?"

When both men awkwardly look away, you knew that was an answer you weren't going to get, but then another, more sinister, question popped into your head.

"Wait, so was he one of the Elders that denied Minhyuk?"

When Baekhyun hummed a yes, you inwardly cringed at how much tension that probably caused between all of the men.

"I don't blame Xiumin. He had nothing to do with it, and he actually tried to help Minhyuk change their minds." Baekhyun quietly tells you.

You were slightly surprised at yourself when those words made you relax. Baekhyun was your friend, and you cared about him, but Xiumin and you hardly talked, so you were curious as to why you were worried about his situation with them.

"What about Jongin? What's their issue with him?"

Both of the men looked slightly uncomfortable again, so you sighed and gave up on that one too.

"That's something you'll have to ask him, but we have to go downstairs. They're probably waiting for us." Chanyeol wearily says.

Great. Another reason for them to dislike you.

As the three of you stand up, Baekhyun gently grabs your hand, turning you toward him.

"While we're down there, please don't say anything unless they ask you. I know that makes me sound like an asshole, but I want this to be over with as quick as possible, and I don't want you to become a bigger target than you already are."

He glances up at Chanyeol, who was standing behind you, and then looks back at you. "I'm just trying to protect you from them the only way I know how, but I won't let them do anything to you."

At Chanyeol's throat clearing, Baekhyun fought a smile. "We won't let anything happen to you."

You nod to let him know you understand, and the three of you begin the trek down the hallway. As you approach the stairs, you spot Jongin leaning against the rail at the top, and you could tell from his stance that he was pissed off. He looked ready to snap, and with the way he was gripping the stair railing, you figured it was to keep himself from going downstairs and doing something.

"Jongin, are you okay?" Baekhyun quietly asks, causing Jongin to snort.

"Oh, lovely. Couldn't be happier, truly."

Before you knew what you were doing, you reached a hand out and laid it on his arm. Jongin stilled at the contact, and you held your breath. You liked Jongin. The two of you got along well, even though he was one of the biggest flirts you've ever come across, but you had never seen him this angry before.

He looks over at you, giving you a small smile. As he pats your hand on his arm, he says, "This isn't going to be pretty for you either."

"So, I've heard." You drily respond.

"Do you want to go down with us?" Chanyeol asks him, causing him to shake his head.

"We both know if I go in there, shit will go down. For her sake and mine, I'm staying up here."

The men nod and begin walking you down the stairs, but your mind was stuck back there with Jongin. What was his issue with the Elders?

You pondered the question as you walked toward the living room, but unfamiliar voices snag your attention. When the three of you walk around the corner and enter the room, all conversations grind to a halt.

As you glance around, you spot four older men standing in various places. They all appeared to be in their mid to late 50's, if not older. One of them was sitting down on the couch, a cane leaning against the armrest next to him, and he looked like he was in a deep conversation with Suho.

Another was over in the corner with Xiumin, and judging by his face, they were having an argument. It was obvious by his appearance that he was Xiuimin's father. The two shared many similar features.

The other two men were off to the sides of the room, watching the rest of the members, and the EXO boys were returning the favor. There was a clear distrust between all of them.

Almost as one, the whole room turned to the three of you. and judging by the looks on a lot of faces, you were more than unwanted. One of the Elders, that was leaning on the wall off to the side of the room, slowly pushed himself into a standing position, causing you to glance over at him. His eyes raked over your body and face, and the look of boredom that had previously been on his face changed to one of alarm. His eyes narrowed, and a muscle in his jaw ticked.

At first, you thought it was because you were "trouble" or suspicious, but the longer you looked at the man, the more you began to realize that you knew him.

Not only did he look familiar, but his mannerisms reminded you of someone. You just couldn't figure out who.

Even if you couldn't remember who he was, he clearly knew who you were, and once he shared a look with Xiumin's dad, you had a feeling he wasn't the only one.

Xiumin's dad turned away from him and met your stare with a glare. You watched as he walked over to the man with the cane and leaned down to quietly talk with him.

At this point, everyone in the room was watching whatever was happening unfold. Confused faces began to show on the EXO members and even the fourth Elder. Suho shared a look with Xiumin, and both men turned to you with unreadable expressions.

You had no idea what was going to happen next, but you knew it wouldn't be good.

The Elder sitting on the couch grabbed his cane and stood up, with Suho quickly following behind.

"You need to get rid of her."

If possible, the tension in the room doubled with his words.

"Excuse me?" Suho asks, his eyebrows drawing down.

"You were looking for counsel, Suho. This is it." The Elder told him.

Suho silently stared at him for a moment before asking, "Why?"

Xiumin's dad beat the first Elder in answering him. "She's going to cause you nothing but trouble. Hand her over to the Baem like they want."

His words had your heart beating triple time. Why would he say you would be trouble, and how did he even know you? Your mind began to race, coming up with all types of conclusions that you didn't want to think about.

Most importantly, if they knew who you were, and they were freaking out, did that mean that it was EXO who killed your family?...

But if it was EXO, why wouldn't they want to finish the job themselves, and why would the Baem attempt to kill you? Something wasn't adding up.

"Who is she?" Xiumin asks as he walks up to stand by Suho.

"Don't fucking ask questions. Just do as we say." Xiumin's father snaps.

Right away, you knew his words didn't sit well with the EXO boys. They didn't appreciate being talked down to or bossed around, and it showed.

"You're fucking kidding me right?" A voice scoffs from behind you.

All eyes turned to the doorway, and you catch sight of Jongin leaning against the frame. A sneer marred his handsome face as he glared at the Elders.

"You're not in charge here, so don't act like you fucking are. Suho is. Which means we take our orders from him. Not piece of shit fucks like you."

If you weren't so worried about the movement drawing attention to yourself, you would've clapped your hands at Jongin's bitten words, and you can tell you weren't the only one. Cocky smiles grew on multiple EXO member's faces, showing they didn't care about the Elder's opinions.

The Elder standing next to Suho slams his cane onto the ground causing everyone to look at him. "Why are you even still here, you unwanted leech?"

Several members started to flex their fingers at his words, and you could've sworn you heard someone crack their knuckles. You surprise yourself when you also grow restless at his hate-filled words. Jongin was a lot of things, but he didn't deserve to be called a leech or unwanted.

Sehun slowly stands up from the chair he was occupying and turns a cold glare toward the Elders. "Watch your fucking mouth. This is our house."

Before the Elders could snap back, like you could tell they were about to do, Suho stepped in.

"Enough. Janghoon, I won't allow you to talk to my men like that, and unless you're going to give me actual advice besides vague answers, I think it's time for you to go."

Janghoon slowly turned to face Suho, hitting his cane on Suho's shoe in the process. It was obvious to you that it was a manipulation tactic to try and show Suho who the dominant man was.

"Listen, boy. If you don't take my advice and get rid of her, then you can kiss EXO goodbye because she's going to flip your world upside down. Secondly, remember your place. You're only here because we allowed you to be here. Don't forget that."

Suho slowly looked down at his shoe and back up at Janghoon. A cold smile took over his face as he stood toe-to-toe with the older man. "I think you're the one who's forgotten his place. Your time has come and gone, and I would've taken over regardless."

A hand on the small of your back had you turning around to meet Baekhyun's stare. He tilted his head to the side indicating you to step over, since the four of you were still blocking the exit.

Chanyeol and you both moved over, wanting the Elders to leave as quickly as possible, but Jongin took the opportunity to step up next to you and throw his arm around your shoulders. The Elders barely repressed the disgust on their faces, and you had to bite back a grin. The boys were right. They were pieces of shit.

You turn your head and look at Jongin to see a cocky smile on his face that only grew as the Elders moved closer.

Xiumin's father smiles at you as he steps up to the two of you. "Makes sense you two would like each other. A useless bastard and a useless whore. It's a match made in Hell."

Jongin had moved before you could blink, but luckily Chanyeol was prepared to grab him. Baekhyun quickly moved over to help Chanyeol calm him down, and you could see the same dilemma was happening across the room with Xiumin.  
As the four Elders moved out of the room, the one who looked familiar to you held your eye contact. You knew him! You knew that you knew him, but who the hell was he?!

While Suho followed him out, Xiumin and Jongin tried to calm themselves down.

Xiumin's voice was so small and broken sounding when he says, "Jongin, I'm sorry... You know I - "

"I know, Min. It's not you, so don't apologize for him."

Xiumin looked like he wanted to say more, but his gaze reluctantly dropped to the floor, while your heart dropped into your stomach. Xiumin blamed himself for his father's actions, and you could only imagine how hard that was for him.

You glance around the room to take in the other member's reactions. Yixing was trying to talk to Xiumin, probably trying to console him, while Baekhyun and Chanyeol stuck around Jongin. D.O. and Chen were off by the fireplace discussing something quietly, and a thoughtful look crossed D.O.'s face as his eyes found yours. You quickly look away and end up locking eyes with Sehun, who was giving you a curious look of his own.

Not wanting to wonder what they were thinking about, you turn away from them and glance out the window and into the backyard. While everyone tried to process what happened during the meeting, only two thoughts crossed your mind.

1\. The Elders wanted you gone, but EXO seemed hellbent on defying them in every way.

2\. Who the fuck was that man?


	10. Part 10

Suho's POV

When Suho walked back into the living room, he surveyed everyone's reactions, and from the looks of it, everyone was pretty pissed at what just happened, and he didn't blame them. He was fucking livid too.

How fucking dare those old ass crypt keepers come into his home and try to not only boss him around but show dominance over him. It took all of his self-control to not rip that cane out of Janghoon's hands and bash his fucking skull in with it.

That was what had pissed him off the most. Not the fact that they wanted to get rid of you or the blatant disrespect they showed Kai, although he wanted to snap like the rest of them at that, but the fact that they were still trying to undermine him and make him seem insignificant. He's lead EXO for nearly a decade, tripled their profits, and expanded their business more than the Elders ever could, and they refused to give him credit. It was enough to make him irate.

His eyes quickly sought out Xiumin and Kai, and he was pleased to find that both men were calmed down. He felt pride in his men, and yes, those were his men. They might lose their tempers, but they knew how to hold their shit together when necessary.

Next, his eyes found you as you vacantly stared out the window. Clearly, something was on your mind, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that you were unnerved with the Elders, but to his surprise, you held your own. You even jutted up a chin at the Elders in an act of defiance when Kai put his arm around your shoulders, and Suho found himself amused by it. Of course, the Elders hated it, which made him even more amused.

Xiumin's father had completely thrown him for a loop, though. "Hand her over to the Baem like they want"? Since when has EXO ever given the Baem something they wanted? Never, and fuck the Baem.

Not only did they kill five of his men, but he was 99% sure they killed his family also. The only reason a single Baem member was still breathing was because he had a leak.

An EXO member had been feeding the Baem information for years, and he knew it was an Elder. Suho just wasn't sure which one, or if there was more than one, but he had definitely set his sights on Xiumin's father after that meeting.

"What now, boss?"

Chen's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked around the room, taking in his men's expressions. They all stared back at him, waiting for their orders.

"We're going to have a meeting tonight to discuss our next move, but for now, just continue doing what you were doing before. Asking the Elders here was apparently pointless." Turning to look at you, he says, "I'd like to speak with you later as well."

At your nod, he turned and strode out of the room, knowing his second wasn't far behind.

Your POV

As you watched the men file out of the room, you knew Suho was gonna want to talk about what happened when the Elders saw you, and that wasn't something you particularly wanted to talk about. How could you tell him that you recognized one of them? You've continuously stated that you didn't have any connections to the mafia world, and then one walks right into their freaking living room.

"You okay?"

Focusing your attention on Jongin, who had suddenly appeared in front of you, you do a quick read of his expression. He was trying to hide it through the mischievous smile on his face, but you could tell he was upset about what they had said to him.

"I'm fine, but how are you?"

Shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to play it off, he says, "I don't care what they say about me."

You knew that Jongin didn't care about the Elder's opinions, but hearing the harsh words they threw at him had to hurt. It would hurt anyone.

"You know you don't have to hide it from me, right? The way I was brought here wasn't conventional, but I do consider you a friend."

He slightly tilts his head as a curious expression graces his face. "I wonder if you would still think of me as a friend when you find out why they dislike me."

"One way to find out." You smirk, letting him know, in your own way, you would.

He hesitated only for a second before taking a deep breath and saying, "I killed one of them."

The fact that you didn't even react to his confession showed you how quickly you had become comfortable in this world again, but you couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"From what I've seen, I'm sure they weren't that missed."

"It was my father." He states before scrunching his nose and saying, "Well, stepfather."

Your lips parted at the rest of the confession. That wasn't what you were expecting to hear. You waited for him to continue, but when he made no further attempt to continue, you ask him why.

He scrubs a hand down his face before looking at the couch and gesturing to it. Following his lead, you both sink into the couch, and you immediately turn to face him.

"Someone seems a little eager." He jokes, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Not every day someone blatantly tells me they killed their father."

"No, I suppose not." He takes a breath before finding your eyes. "So, when I was three, my mom married one of the EXO members, who eventually became one of the lead Elders. At first, he was alright. He ignored my existence, but I was three, so I didn't really understand either way. When I was four, my mom was killed in a random home intrusion..."

Jongin continued talking, but your mind flashed back to your own past. To when your parents were murdered in the same fashion right in front of you.

"Y/N?"

You guiltily snap out of your thoughts and give him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry... I just thought about my own parents for a second... continue, please."

"Right... you lost them too..." He nods in understanding, trailing off for a second. "Well, when I was five, he moved me into the EXO compound, and he started to beat me once he realized he was stuck with a child that wasn't his own. He beat me for years until I was able to start fighting back. Once I was stronger than him, he moved on to mentally abusing me instead. He would talk about my mom disrespectfully and bring prostitutes around who looked like her. I could deal with all that. I learned to ignore it.

When Suho took his position as leader, I officially joined EXO. I always liked it when he and Xiumin were around. They had been there for pretty much my whole life, and they were the only friends I had... With Suho taking power, high-level EXO secrets were unveiled to him and he was the one who told me that my stepfather had orchestrated the home invasion."

An audible gasp left your mouth before you could stop it. "He had your mother killed?"

"Yep. Turns out he only married her so he could collect the life insurance money when she died."

You searched Jongin's face at his detached voice. He hid whatever emotions he was feeling well enough that you couldn't get a grasp on his thoughts.

"I'm so sorry..."

He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't remember her much... that's the only sad thing about it."

You were inclined to disagree. He had been abused mentally, physically, and emotionally for most of his life. That type of damage does something to a person, and you knew that all too well. Fortunately for you, you only had to endure the abuse for a couple of years when you were in foster care, not the majority of your life.

"So, what'd you do when you found out?"

A smirk presented itself on to his face, but it looked slightly unnatural. "I confronted him in front of everyone, and then, I slit his throat."

The way he said it so matter of factly had you blinking a few times. The rational part of you told you that you should be scared of this man, but you weren't. It was Jongin, and he had never hurt you in your time here. He was caring and kind in his own way. Plus, if you were in his position, you couldn't say you wouldn't do the same thing. Maybe in a slightly less gruesome way, though.

"Still friends with me?" He asks you quietly.

When he continued to vacantly stare at the fireplace instead of meeting your gaze, you called his name and waited until he finally looked at you.

"If anything, I'm glad you retaliated. I don't know what that says about me as a person, but that piece of shit killed your mother and beat you. In my opinion, he deserved what he had coming to him."

He quietly regarded your words before saying, "I feel like a part of me should be worried that you're so okay with it, but... thanks for seeing it my way."

Leaning back into the couch, you realize that as a "normal" person whose supposedly not involved in the mafia world, your response might be an odd one. However, you had grown up in this world, and you were far from a normal person.

Jongin and you spent the next hour discussing the Elders and he filled you in on all of the bullshit they had pulled over the boys throughout the years, and before you knew it, Suho and Xiumin were standing in the doorway.

Almost immediately, you became apprehensive. Who knew what the pair was thinking after talking with the Elders?

Jongin quietly stood up and left the room, but not before gently putting a hand on Xiumin's shoulder and squeezing. Xiumin closed his eyes for a second, and then both leaders walked over to the couches and sat down, one beside you and one across from you. They hated the Elders, so odds were in your favor, and with that thought, you forced yourself to relax.

"So, those were the Elders..." Suho awkwardly starts.

Snorting at his opening, you reply, "I can't say I'm impressed."

"They're not an impressive bunch." He responds with a smirk.

Xiumin, who had quietly sat across from you, gave you an unreadable look. "Why did it seem like my dad knew who you were?"

"I was, kind of, hoping you could tell me. I've never seen him before in my life..."

It wasn't a lie. You had never seen Xiumin's father or the other leader before, but the third Elder? You had definitely seen him before.

"Not just his father, Janghoon and Hosung too... They all seemed to freak out, which I feel like should worry me, but it was more entertaining than anything."

Hosung... that must've been the man you recognized, and damn if his name didn't sound familiar...

"I suppose you don't know why they called you trouble either?" Xiumin asks casually.

"I assumed that was because I was a girl."

Both men freeze at your words, and you quickly look between the two of them. Xiumin was the one to break the silence.

"Who told you?"

"Baekhyun told me about his sister and Minhyuk."

The men exchange a glance before looking at you, regarding you slightly different than before.

"I knew you had grown close with a couple of the guys, but I didn't realize how close..." Suho quietly trails off.

"I don't have to tell you what'll happen if you end up betraying them in any way, do I?" Xiumin asks.

Sighing, you say, "Aren't we done with that yet? I've been here for, like, two months now. You haven't found out anything bad about me, and I've made no attempt to hurt anyone in any way. Annoyingly enough, I've grown to care about most of you in one way or another. Even your two stubborn asses."

Suho lets out a quiet chuckle, but Xiumin only raises an eyebrow at your small outburst.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't mean much in this world. Betrayal is a very real thing, and it's deadly. You could be biding your time, you could be an implant, or you could be innocent. Considering the Elder's reaction to you, clearly, you’re involved in this world somehow. Now whether you're lying to us or you simply can't remember is another story. I guess time will tell us which it is."

Suho quietly contemplated his second's statement before saying, "Well, I figured the Elders would've had you shaken up, but I guess not..."

"Don't get me wrong, they're intimidating, and I worry about what'll happen now since they told you to get rid of me, but I'm tougher than I look."

A look passed between the two leaders that you couldn't decipher, and Suho glanced out the window before turning to you.

"Bottom line? We don't trust the Elders. Not only do they have more secrets than I can keep track of, but they also have a leak."

You sat up and looked between the men. "Wait, really?"

"One of the Elders has been leaking information about us to the Baem for years."

"How come you haven't figured out who it is?" You ask.

"They're good at covering their tracks. We have it narrowed down to a couple of them, though."

At Suho's words, a muscle in Xiumin's jaw ticked, and that was when you noticed how tense he was. Before you could look away, he caught you staring at him.

"To answer your unspoken question, yes. My father is one of the suspects."

Xiumin's POV

He took in your surprised expression and knew he had caught you off guard with his bluntness. He wasn't stupid. He knew his father was Suho's number one suspect, but it sat wrong with him.

His father was a piece of shit, even Xiumin wouldn't deny that, but his father and Suho's father were best friends. He was his second, just like Xiumin was Suho's, so it didn't make sense to him that his father would be the one to betray EXO and leak information to the Baem.

There was a huge piece of the puzzle that was missing, and it was probably right in front of their faces.

The reaction the Elders had to you, however, was interesting. Xiumin heard his father take a breath when he saw you, and at first, Xiumin thought it was his "no girls are good enough for EXO" bullshit. That changed when he saw Hosung and Janghoon's reactions, though. They recognized you, and Xiumin had no fucking clue how they would know you.

So many scenarios ran through his mind at that moment, and they all pointed to his father and possibly the others being the leak. Maybe they freaked out because you could mess up their plans in some way, or maybe they freaked because they knew you were from a different group and were infiltrating them, but there's no way they wouldn't have immediately said that to Suho. Hiding who you were made no sense unless you were a Baem whore, and they knew it because they were the leaks.

However, Xiumin saw your confusion at their reactions, so he knew you meant it when you told them you didn't know who they were. Unless you were the best damn actress on this planet, but Xiumin wasn't going to give you that much credit. Add that to the missing piece of the puzzle.

"You think your dad could be the link?" Your voice draws him out of his thoughts.

He shrugs his shoulders in response. "A few people could be, but yes, he is a possibility."

When you didn't say anything, he sighed and leaned forward.

"Look my dad's an asshole. You saw the way he treated Jongin, who has been a member as long as we have, but he was the second in command for decades. It just doesn't make sense to me that he would betray us. However, I've been in this world long enough to know that it changes you in more ways than you could imagine. The father that I knew growing up is gone, and the man he is now is a suspect."

He could see that you had something you wanted to say to him. It was written all over your face.

"Spit it out."

Your eyes widened at his words, and you glanced at Suho before looking back at him.

"I know it's not my place..."

Suho snorts. "Which undoubtedly means you're going to say something anyway. Sometimes you are just like my - "

Xiumin quickly clears his throat, stopping his best friend from saying something he could regret. He knew what Suho was going to say. His sister. You reminded him of his baby sister, and in some ways, you reminded Xiumin of her too.  
He didn't have many interactions with her before the incident, but when she was younger, she would always try to hang out with the boys. Of course, they usually told her to go away, but most of the time, she was determined to be with them.

Seoyeon was a sweet, happy girl, and Xiumin remembered how destroyed Suho had been after she died. There were days when he thought Suho wasn't going to survive. He drowned his issues in alcohol and drugs before getting his shit together and taking his rightful spot as leader.

You were the first girl who truly tested him. All the other girls who had ever been around EXO weren't stupid enough to do that. They knew who he was and knew not to push his buttons, but you didn't seem to care. You were just like his sister, and Xiumin would be damned before he let Suho fall back into that dark place.

Xiumin continued to stare at you, waiting for you to finish whatever it was you were going to say, but what came out of your mouth wasn't something he had been prepared for.

"Jongin doesn't blame you, and while we're at it, neither does Baekhyun. Whatever idiotic things your father has said and done does not reflect on you."

Anger, shame, and frustration filled Xiumin, but before he could say anything, you cut him off.

"I saw the way you were after the meeting. It was tearing you up to see the way he was talking to Jongin. You are not your father."

It was silent after you spoke, and it lasted long enough for you to start fidgeting in your seat.

"Are you done?" He asks.

He knew you were trying to help, and he knew you were right, but it pissed him off that you could read him so easily, so he said the first thing he thought of.

"If I wanted a therapist, I'd fucking get one. You don't know me, and you don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

Your POV

You watched as Xiumin angrily stood up and marched out of the room. You knew you might've been overstepping your boundaries, but you wanted to help ease him in some way.

"Don't worry about him." Suho quietly tells you.

"I just wanted to help him..."

"He knows. He just doesn't want to hear it right now."

You nod because you don't know what else to do and change the subject. "So, what now?"

"I don't know." He quietly chuckles. "This whole situation is new territory for me. Normally, I would've just killed you in the shoot out, but there was something familiar about you. You've come into our world and our home and have completely shaken things up. I have no idea what to do about you or the situation."

You hesitate before asking one of the questions that had been on your mind for over a month now. "Why do I seem so familiar to you? Earlier, it sounded like you were going to compare me to someone... can I ask who?"

This time it was his turn to hesitate. "My sister... Sometimes, the way you say or do something, it reminds me of her."

"What happened to her?"

Suho turns his head away from you. The muscle in his jaw ticks and you get the feeling he was trying to keep himself composed.

"She was killed by a rival group. I don't think you have to guess who."

"Baem?" You whisper.

"Of course, there's never been any real proof, but nobody else is stupid enough to make that move."

His situation was eerily similar to yours. Both of your parents and your siblings killed by rival groups? It didn't take much for your mind to jump to a conclusion.

What if his father killed your family, and in retaliation, your father's group killed his? Or vice versa?

"Did you retaliate against them?"

He snorts before answering. "Of course we did. There's no way in hell I'd let my family's killer breathe longer than he needed to."

Your body froze as his words sunk in. Did your families kill each other? Was your father the leader of the Baem? Were you, by blood, a Baem?

"I'm sorry... I know this is still probably a lot for you to take in."

Meeting his eyes, you realize he had mistaken your panic for him retaliating and not what you were truly panicking about. Your panic was more about the fact that you were probably sitting across from your father's enemy.

"No, it's fine. I would do the exact same if someone had murdered my family." You tell him, meeting his stare head-on.

His cellphone ringing broke the eye contact the two of you were holding. As he spoke to whoever was on the other end, your mind ran with possibilities. What the heck were you going to do now?

"Alright. See you in a minute." He hangs up the phone as he begins to stand up. "Well, it's time for our meeting, so if you need anyone, you know where will be."

You nod to let him know you heard him and watch as he walks out of the room.

For the next couple of hours, you tried to fall into your favorite book, but your mind refused to let you. So many things weren't adding up, and you were getting a headache trying to figure it out.

If your father was a Baem leader, why would they try to kill you? The possibility that your family and Suho's family had killed each other was so real, but if the Baem were trying to kill you, then that wouldn't make sense.

What if...

No.

There was absolutely no way.

There is no possible way that your father was an EXO member because that would mean that Suho... was your brother...

No. You stopped that stupid idea and refused to let yourself go down that path. Your brother was dead. Definitely not down the hallway.

Dropping your head onto the back of the couch, you stare at the ceiling and think of the only three possible options to where you fit into this mess.

1\. Your father had been the Baem leader, but you immediately nixed that idea. Your father's group wouldn't try to kill his daughter, right?

2\. Your father had been the EXO leader and Suho was your brother, but you threw out that idea also. Though Suho had some resemblance to your brother, you knew your brother was dead, just like the rest of your family.

3\. The only other option that made sense was that your father was the leader of an entirely different group that you didn't know, and you actually had nothing to do with EXO or the Baem.

You sigh and place the book down on the table. There was no use lying to yourself because you weren't going to get anywhere with reading it. Instead, you lean back into the couch and stare out the window in front of you.

It was a quiet, calm night. Not a cloud in the sky, and you were in a remote enough place to see the stars. Staring out the window had become one of your favorite pastimes since the only light that polluted the sky was from a cute little lantern in the backyard. The light was next to a path that led you into the tree line, so it was far enough away that it didn't bug you.

Quickly spotting it, you take comfort in it as you watch the tree branches sway in front of it, blocking it from view every so often. It must be...

You slowly sit up with the realization that there was no wind tonight, and therefore, whatever was blocking the light was not a tree branch.

On instinct, you slowly slide off the couch and onto the ground. Crawling over to the window as quickly as you can, you slowly peek above the windowsill. Trying to remain as still as possible, you peer over at the lantern. It only takes a couple of seconds before you spot the figure next to it.

The longer you stared, the more the shape of the person defined itself, and the quicker you realized they were not alone. There was another figure right next to them, and both of them were dressed in black from head-to-toe.

You knew all the boys were in their meeting, so it wasn't anyone friendly outside. Scanning the backyard for any more unwelcome guests, you spot another one off to the side a few yards away.

Slowly ducking back down, you pull yourself away from the window and begin to quickly crawl towards the entrance in the living room. It only takes you a few seconds before you crawl out into the hallway, where you jump to your feet and take off running for the meeting room.

You had to warn EXO that they were about to be under attack. You all were.


	11. Part 11

No other thoughts traveled through your head as you reached for the doorknob. Your mind had gone blank because you knew all hell was probably about to break loose, and all you could think about was warning the guys.

Twisting the handle, you throw open the door and look at the guys with wide eyes. The frantic look on your face must've immediately alerted the guys because half of them were already out of their seats at the sight of you.

"Y/N, what's - "

Cutting off the leader, you say, "There are men outside. I think they're about to attack."

The men tensed before throwing multiple questions at you.

"Where did you see them?"

"Are you sure they're not our men?"

"There were three of them, dressed in black from head-to-toe, back by the tree line, and if I had to guess, no, they're not friendly." You respond before they can ask any more.

The men exchange looks before turning to Suho, who was glancing between you and Xiumin.

"Sweep the house. Look for any points of entry and handle it. We'll worry about the perimeter after."

"Are we leaving any breathers?" Sehun asks with a hard look on his face.

"I don't want a single heart beating beside the people in this room."

Sehun and Jongin share a grin before running out of the room with the other men in tow. As you hear them discuss directions, the image of Baekhyun pulling out a gun is seared into your mind. It was so weird to see the two men, who used their hands to help others, carry weapons  
of death, but you knew that's who they were.

"Y/N, stay here and shut the door behind us. If anyone comes in here, that's not one of us, shoot."

You look down at Xiumin's words and see him holding out a gun towards you. Meeting his gaze, you grab the gun and click the safety off. Xiumin raises his eyebrows in surprise but quickly shakes it off.

Xiumin and Suho are the last of the men to leave, and you quickly close the door behind them.  
Only seconds later, you hear the first shots fire off, causing you to jump. The last time you heard gunshots, someone was shooting out your tires trying to kill you, and you couldn't help but assume this was the Baem again.

As more shots begin going off, you back away from the door and look down to examine the gun in your hands. It was a standard-issue 9mm that you knew a lot of officers carried, and it just so happened to be one of the few guns you've shot in your lifetime.

You were a good shot, with a record of 15/15, meaning you've never missed a target, and you knew damn well you could take care of yourself... so then why were you hiding in here instead of out there helping?

Opening the chamber, you see it's fully loaded, and it takes only seconds after that for you to decide to go help. There was no reason for you to stay hiding in here, especially when you knew Xiumin and Yixing weren't fully healed from their accident. One of them was walking around on a bum leg, and the other’s arm was still half useless.

Snapping the chamber shut, you calmly walk to the door and slowly open it, pausing to listen for any movement on the other side. When you hear no sounds from around you, you pull the door open more and peek into the hallway. Holding your breath and listening for any odd noises, you begin to slowly walk down the hallway, gun drawn, and ready to shoot.

The first few doors you pass are thrown open, the rooms quiet and empty, so you skip past them and continue down the hallway. You hear gunshots and shouts from the other side of the house, but you ignore those and train your ears to the area around you.

As you come upon the kitchen, you hear grunts and objects clattering to the floor. Moving to the wall, you hold your breath and slowly peek around the corner, and what you see has your stomach twisting in knots.

Sehun was in the corner of the kitchen fighting off two men twice the size of him. His gun was nowhere in sight, and he was slowly losing the battle. One of the men had their arms around his neck, effectively cutting off his air supply, and Sehun was trying to pull at his arms while kicking the second guy off.

On the floor near the wall was a still Jongin who was beginning to pale. Underneath him, you see a pool of blood forming, and you immediately know you need Baekhyun or Yixing fast.

Pulling back, you take a deep breath and check your gun for the third time before coming out from around the corner. Both men were so focused on Sehun that neither of them even saw you. Morons.

Taking aim, you shoot at the largest target, which was the back of the man strangling Sehun. Your aim rings true causing all of the men to pause. The Baem member you shot slowly released Sehun and began reaching for his back, while his friend turned to you and quickly raised his gun.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Sehun hits the shooter in the head, causing the man to swing wildly. He let off a shot as he turned, lodging a bullet into the refrigerator, and Sehun  
quickly takes the upper hand.

He punches the man in the face twice before grabbing the gun. As the two fight over the gun, you keep yours trained on the one you shot, who was kneeling on the floor and quickly losing the fight. Although you wanted to go to Jongin, you stayed rooted in place, not wanting to distract Sehun but also covering his back in case the one you shot tried to pull a death shot.

Only seconds later, Sehun rips the gun from the man's hands and shoots him in the face. As the man drops, he shoots him once more in the torso before turning to the other wounded member and shooting him twice more in the back.

Once the threat was gone, both of you run over to Jongin, who was almost scarily pale. Sehun quickly found the wound in his stomach and put pressure on it. You look around and spot a kitchen towel on the counter that you jump up and grab before dropping it onto Sehun's hands. He quickly grabs it and pushes it into Jongin's stomach before screaming Yixing's name.

Following his lead, you run out into the hallway and scream for both Yixing and Baekhyun. You don't know when, but at some point, while you were in the kitchen, the house had fallen silent, and it had just begun to hit you that you didn't know who was left. You didn't know how large the attack was or what really happened, but before you could start really freaking out, Suho and D.O. jog around the corner towards your voice.

"What's up?" Suho asks with a concerned look.

All you get out is Jongin's name as you point towards the kitchen, causing both men to move past you and walk into the room, just as Baekhyun catches up behind them. He doesn't even ask, just pushes through the men and drops down next to Sehun. You watch from the entrance as Baekhyun begins to tend to Jongin and orders D.O. to go to medical for supplies.

D.O. runs past you, but you don't take your eyes off of Jongin until you feel a warm hand on your shoulder. You look over to see Chanyeol standing next to you, his eyes on Jongin as well. Blood was spattered on his face, but he looked okay, so your eyes trail over to Baekhyun and Suho, where you don't spot any obvious injuries either.

D.O. runs back into the room with a black bag in his hands and Xiumin trailing after him with a hard stretcher board. Xiumin was cradling his already injured arm, and a look of pain crosses his face, but he buries it.

Suho glances back at his second before surveying the room. A look crosses over his face, and you already know what he's noticing. Two of the men haven't made it back, and one of them was Yixing. Bile rises in your throat at the thought of losing, not only Jongin but Yixing as well.

Catching Suho's eyes, you nod your head to the hallway, indicating that you want to go look for the other two. He looks you over before nodding once. As you turn to the door, you catch him signaling Chanyeol to go with you, and the taller man quickly falls into step with you.

"Where was the last place you seen them?"

"I haven't seen them. Not since the boardroom."

Neither of you liking his answer, you pick up your pace down the hallway, searching every room you could think of. Logically, you knew there was no way Yixing went upstairs or downstairs unless he was thrown down there. Chen, you had no idea about, but the fact that everyone else came running when they heard yours and Sehun's shouts didn't bode well for the two you were looking for.

Chanyeol and you walk the first floor with no luck, and just before you head toward the stairs, you spot the front door wide open. Stopping in your tracks, you turn to it, a thought forming in your mind.

"Chanyeol." You say, grabbing his shirt before he can get too far. You look up to see him following your gaze to the door. Neither of you says a word, but you both start for the door.

Before you can take a step outside, Chanyeol grabs you and pushes you behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"This might not be over."

You stand back and quietly watch as he pulls his gun out and does something to the barrel. A second later, a beam of light is shooting out from below it. Impressed, you flash him a smile before following his lead and getting your gun ready also.

It was pitch black outside. The only illumination coming from the lights inside shining out of the windows, and the two porch lights on either side of the front door, putting you in a horrible position. You couldn't see out, but someone could definitely see in.

Chanyeol swept his flashlight across the lawn, but it only helped so much. The two of you stay quiet, listening to your surroundings, and just before you say something, a whistle splits the air.

Both Chanyeol and you turn to the right, where it seemed like the sound came from, and that's when you were able to make out two figures moving slowly toward you.

Chanyeol quickly tucked his gun back into his pants and jumped off the porch, throwing back an "it's them". You bound down the steps after him, and as you approach, you hear Chen quietly scolding Yixing.

" - can't even freaking walk."

Both men appeared unharmed if you moved past the split lip and giant bruise forming on Chen's face. His arm was around Yixing, and it was clear he was helping him walk.

"How the heck did you get out here on that leg?" Chanyeol asks as he looks him over.

"Sheer determination." Yixing jokes. "Someone had to secure the perimeter."

"Yeah, one of the other eight of us who aren't walking around with a limp." Chen bites out.

Yixing ignores him and looks between you and Chanyeol. "Speaking of which, is everyone else okay?"

Chanyeol and you share a look that both men immediately notice.

"Who?" Chen quietly asks.

"Jongin was shot. Baekhyun and Sehun are working on him."

Yixing begins to take off before you can even finish your sentence, leaving the three of you to hurry after him. For a man with a messed up leg, he could move when he wanted to.

"How bad?" Yixing asks.

"There was a lot of blood. I don't know what happened, do you, Y/N?" Chanyeol asks.

"He took at least one shot in the stomach. They're in the kitchen." You shout to Yixing, who was already making his way inside the house. As Chanyeol moved past you to help Yixing, Chen touched your arm, causing you to jump a little.

He ignores your reaction and asks, "Everyone else?"

"They're okay. Everyone was in the kitchen, except for you two."

"You came to help look for us? For Yixing?" He corrects himself.

"For both of you."

You leave Chen with his mouth open and follow the other two into the kitchen.

Baekhyun sees Yixing come in and immediately starts catching him up. "He's stabilized for now. We're about to move him down to medical."

You move out of the way as Baekhyun and Chanyeol slide Jongin onto the stretcher and begin moving him out of the kitchen, Yixing trailing close behind.

Sehun was still kneeling in the same position, looking at his bloodstained hands. His face was blank, and he made zero movements.

"What the fuck happened?" You hear D.O. ask.

As the other four men begin discussing how the Baem got past their security measures, you walk over to Sehun. When he didn't even acknowledge your existence, you softly tug on the shoulder of his shirt. When he still doesn't move, you gently wrap your hands around his upper arm and begin tugging him up. He eventually helped you and stood up, allowing you to drag him over to the sink.

You turned the water on and adjusted the temperature so he wouldn't burn his hands before shoving them into the stream of water. You grab the dish soap next to the sink and pour some onto his hands before gently washing away Jongin's blood.

You scrubbed until you were satisfied and turned the water off. The complete silence behind you didn't escape your attention, but you ignored it and grabbed a towel to dry off Sehun's hands. After about thirty seconds, you peek over your shoulder at the others and catch them watching you with mixes of curiosity and appreciation on their faces.

You look up at Sehun to see him staring at you also, but before you could turn away, he quietly says, "This is my fault."

"No, it isn't."

"If I would've been more careful when I searched the room, they wouldn't have been able to shoot him."

"Stop. You know Jongin would knock you senseless if he heard you right now."

Xiumin chimes in behind you. "If it's anyone's fault, it's the Baem's fault."

"Are we 100% sure it's them and not someone else?" Chen questions.

D.O. nods his head and replies, "The one I shot had Baem tattoos."

"So do they," Suho tells them, tilting his head toward the two bodies on the floor. "This was another Baem attack."

"Suho - "

"Sehun, get out of your head. What we need to do right now is another sweep of the house and perimeter, then round up the stiffs and take care of them."

As the men begin checking out the house, you venture up to your bedroom, needing a minute by yourself after the chaos. You were slightly worried about going by yourself, but you still had the gun, and your room looked undisturbed. You checked the closet to see if anyone was hiding before dropping onto the bed.

It had been a really long fucking day.

You laid there and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours before you heard a knock on your door. Doubting it was someone there to hurt you, you leave the gun on your nightstand and walk over to the door.

For some reason, you're not surprised when you find Sehun standing on the other side of the door, still wearing the empty expression on his face.

"Do you think we can talk?"


	12. Part 12

You pull the door open the rest of the way and move over so Sehun can walk into the room. He doesn't make eye contact as he slowly moves in and comes to a stop at the end of your bed. A chill passes through you when you think about the last time he was in your room, but you push it to the side. He was a different person now. You both were.

There had been a shift between the two of you, and you knew you weren't the only one who felt it, or else why would he be here right now? You had literally washed the blood from his hands.

"Do you know how he is?"

Sehun shakes his head before answering. "I... No... I think I heard someone say something about removing an organ? I don't know..."

A knot forms in your stomach at that little bit of information, but you knew Baekhyun and Yixing would do everything they could to make sure Jongin was okay.

You take a few steps toward the bed and take a peek at Sehun. He had made zero movements since stopping at the foot of your bed and his eyes were glued to the ground.

"Sehun?" You wait until he slowly looks up at you before asking, "How are you?"

"I'll be fine." He says, looking away from you and toward the window.

"I'm not asking how you'll be. I'm asking how you are..."

He gnawed on his lip before biting out, "I screwed up, and it got my brother shot."

"Sehun, you couldn't have known what was going to happen. Nobody was expecting any of this, and you know Jongin is in good hands right now."

Sehun fell quiet for a moment before saying, "I came up here to thank you."

You lean back, slightly surprised, before saying, "You don't need to thank me."

Sehun turns to face you and an unreadable expression crosses his face. "If you hadn't come and shot that fucker, Jongin and I might not have made it out of there. There was a moment there, where I was so worried Jongin was dead, I got distracted, and that let the Baem get the best of me. It's because of you that I was able to get the upper hand and that we were able to get Jongin help. Thank you."

You silently nod because saying, "you're welcome" didn't seem like the right thing to say.

"If you had to do it all over again, would you?"

"Without a second thought." You reply, firm in your words, causing Sehun to nod.

"I had a feeling you would say that, which leads me to the second reason I'm here. I wanted to apologize to you."

You begin shaking your head before he even finishes his sentence. "Sehun, you really don't need - "

"Stop talking." He says, effectively shutting you up. "I don't regret treating you the way I did. You were a stranger, and therefore you were a threat. These men are my brothers, and I would rather die before I let something bad happen to them. They mean everything to me. However, I did take it too far with you, so for that, I apologize."

"I understand why you acted the way you acted, and I respect it." Surprise flickers on Sehun's face at your statement, so you elaborate. "I have respect for anyone who places the people they care about that high. I was saying you didn't have to apologize because I'd do the same thing if I was in your shoes."

You watch Sehun process what you say and then nod. He tilted his head slightly before walking around you to your chair and sitting down. Turning with him, you drop down onto your bed and face him.

"Before today, Chanyeol always talked about you, saying you were a good person, and I would roll my eyes because I didn't believe him. I didn't care enough to believe him, and I didn't want to. If I did believe him, then that would mean I'd have to let another person into my life that I would eventually end up caring about. Someone who would eventually die or be killed, and I have enough of that already."

Listening to Sehun's outlook caused your chest to tighten. His view on the world, the view all the men probably shared, was a harsh one. He put up walls and cut anyone who stepped too close to them, and it was a lonely perspective.

"The way you acted today proved that he was right, and..." He drops his head as his sentence trails off.

"Sehun, you don't have to let me in..." You softly tell him.

"...But what if I want to..?" He questions and looks back up at you.

His words stir up something in your chest, and you take a deep breath to let a little more air into your lungs.

"Then we acknowledge it and go from there. I don't have to be someone super important to you because of today. We can be friends, and build on that friendship if it's something you want..."

He nods, and the two of you fall silent. It wasn't as awkward or uncomfortable as it use to be and you feel a slight relief at that. It was companionable and ...nice.

"Before EXO, Chanyeol and Jiho were the only two people I cared about. l spent every waking moment with them. Those two taught me almost everything I know. They may have only been cousins by blood, but they were my brothers by every other standard. My parents... my parents loved me, and I loved them, but we lived totally separate lives."

Shocked that he began telling you about his past so quickly, you quietly ask, "Where are your parents now?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Probably still in the same place they were before. I haven't talked to them since I joined EXO."

"Do they know you joined?"

"I'm sure they think I joined some kind of gang. Their hopes for me were never super high."

You take a breath before asking the one question you were dying to know.

"Why did you join EXO?"

His eyes searched yours before saying, "I followed Chanyeol."

Before you could ask what he meant by that, there was a knock on your door, and it opened to reveal the exact person Sehun had just mentioned. Sehun and you share a surprised glance before looking back at the confused man.

"Did your ears ring or something?" You joke, but that only causes his confusion to increase judging by his scrunched-up nose.

"What?"

You smile at him before saying, "Nothing. What's up?"

He glances between you and Sehun before saying, "You tell me."

You tilt your head trying to figure out what he meant before remembering that he was the one who made Sehun leave your room the last time he had been there. He was probably confused about the 180 Sehun did.

"I came up to apologize and to thank her," Sehun tells his cousin.

Chanyeol's eyebrows raised so far toward his hairline that a smile grew on your face before you could stop it.

"I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't that." Chanyeol jokes. "Well... I came up to let you know about Jongin."

Both Sehun and you sat up at his name, but Sehun was the first one to speak.  
"How is he?"

"He's stabilized and really lucky as it turns out. Most of the damage was done to his kidney, so they had to remove it, but they were able to fix whatever else needed to be fixed. He's going to be down for a few weeks, but he'll be back to his normal self soon enough."

Relief flooded your body at the confirmation that Jongin would be okay. He would pull through. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Sehun slump with relief.

"Now that the good news is shared, I have more news. We're having a meeting in half an hour about the attack. Y/N, you're expected there also."

Both of you nod to let Chanyeol know you heard him, but he still doesn't move from his spot. You could see the curiosity on his face as he shuffled by the door.

"Sooo... what were you guys talking about?"

"I was... I was kind of telling her about before EXO..." Sehun quietly says.

Surprise had Chanyeol rooted to his spot. "You were?'

"Yeah... and I was thinking... Maybe we should tell her about Jiho? I haven't talked about him much, and I know you haven't either. Plus, I heard she already knows about Minhyuk and Jisoo..."

Chanyeol froze, and you could see him visibly stiffen. A battle waged across his face before he made a decision.

"If you're ready to talk about him... Then, yeah, I'd like to join you..."

You looked between the cousins trying to understand what was going through their minds. From everything you had learned, you knew Jiho was Chanyeol's brother. You remember Baekhyun telling you about how Jiho was with Minhyuk and the group of men who were killed by the Baem.

Chanyeol stiffly walked over to your bed and slowly sat down next to you. You could tell a part of him wanted absolutely nothing to do with this. He wanted to run far away from this conversation, but another part of him needed this. He needed to talk about his brother and speak the memories out into the world.

You remained quiet as you let them silently decide what to say. At first, you didn't know who was going to start, but then Chanyeol took a deep breath causing you and Sehun to look at him.

"Jiho was my older brother... He had always been a 'take charge and act before thinking' kind of guy, and he'd worry about the consequences after. I knew that his mindset would get him killed eventually... This year is actually the fifth anniversary of his death."

As you listened to him speak, you mentally built an image of how you imagined his brother had looked. Wondering if he had been similar to Chanyeol or if he took after someone else...

"I know Baekhyun told you about the mission Jiho's group went on with Minhyuk. They wanted blood after all of the attacks and hits that were put out, and you know how that ended."

"How do you know for sure they're gone?"

"Because they sent the bodies back to us," Sehun angrily says.

Horror, like you've never known, floored through your body, and there was no way to hide it. Who knew what the Baem had done to them while they had them? Had the boys seen their brother's bodies in that condition? The thought stole your breath.

"That's horrifying..."

"That's this world," Sehun responds.

"Then why did you become a part of it?" You ask him again.

Sehun glanced up at Chanyeol before looking off to the side, staying silent.

"It's my fault." Chanyeol quietly says.

Sehun whipped his head back to look at Chanyeol, and you followed his gaze.

"I joined because I wanted to rip apart the people who hurt Jiho. I want to do to them what they did to him."

Something clicked into place, and a bigger picture started to form in your mind.

"So you joined after Jiho was already gone?"

"Mhmm. Sehun followed me to try and stop me. He didn't want me to join the mafia."

Turning back to Sehun, you ask, "So, what happened?"

"Chanyeol's stubborn. He was going to join no matter what. Nothing I said was going to stop him. I was pissed off and angry about losing Jiho too, but I didn't think joining EXO was the answer, but if he was joining, I wasn't going to let him do it on his own. I had already lost Jiho. I wasn't willing to lose Chanyeol too."

The two shared a look that only people with deep, intense bonds could share. They were basically each other's everything, and they knew they would do anything for the other.

"Obviously, I tried to stop Sehun, because why should both of us ruin our lives, but the selfish part of me is glad he's here." Chanyeol paused and cleared his throat before saying, "Anyways, we should head down to the meeting."

The three of you stand up and head down to the board room. Everyone besides Suho and Jongin was there waiting for the meeting. They all had varying expressions on their faces, ranging from anger to worry, but the one look they all shared was exhaustion, especially Baekhyun and Yixing.

No one paid you much mind, as they were all focused on regrouping and retaliating, but as you walked over toward a chair, Xiumin stood up from his and inclined his head toward the corner. You furrow your eyebrows but follow him to the corner until he stops and turns to you.

"What's up?" You curiously ask.

"I wanted to apologize to you."

Your confusion deepened at his words. Why were two EXO members apologizing to you in one day?

"Look. You were right. About what you said to me. I do take responsibility for my father's actions when I shouldn't, and I bury myself in guilt for it. I snapped at you because, even though I knew it was true deep down, I was in denial. I do feel responsible for how he treats Jongin and for what happened to Jisoo and the guys, even though those things have nothing to do with me. So, I just wanted to say sorry."

"Well... thank you. I really wasn't trying to dig my nose into your business when I was saying that. I was trying to help you ...somehow."

"Yeah, I understand that now. So... sorry, and... thanks."

You nod your head and the two of you make your way over to some chairs, just as Suho walks in. The look on his face was anything but nice. In fact, his expression promised payback. He wordlessly walked to his seat and sat down, taking a turn to look at every person at the table with him.

"I'll start with the good news, which I'm sure you all know by now. Kai will be okay. Lay and Baek were able to stop the bleeding and stitch him back up. He'll be down for a few weeks though, on top of Lay and Xiumin's injuries, so we need to close ranks a little. Secondly, we need to discuss what happened. What do we know so far?"

D.O. immediately snaps to attention, firmly answering the leader. "There were ten men, and all of them were Baem members, confirmed by their tattoos and markings. They're all deceased and have been disposed of."

Suho nods and turns to Chen. "What was the point of entry?"

"There were multiple points of entry. Four first floor windows and... the front door." Chen responds, looking down at the table.

A fire flared in Suho's eyes as he stared down Chen. "And how in the fuck were they able to just waltz into the front door like that?"

Chen gave a frustrated sigh before meeting the leader's eyes. "They hacked the handheld monitor I brought into the meeting and put it on a loop. I checked our main cameras, and those weren't touched. They weren't able to hack into those."

Sehun tensed up next to you and asked, "So, if you were in the security room, you would've been able to see everything?"

"Exactly. Which means somehow, someone knew where I was going to be when this happened."

"Someone knew about the meeting? How?" Chanyeol asks, sitting up from his leaned back position.

Baekhyun began shaking his head before saying, "I don't think they knew about the meeting. We found them all over the house. If they knew we would all be in the one room, why not attack us here?"

"Maybe they weren't after us specifically. Maybe they were after one person in particular," D.O. responds to his question, meeting your stare.

"I hate to say it, Y/N, but I think he's right. I think they were after you." Yixing quietly adds.

Putting your hand up to your forehead, you try to rub away the headache that was attempting to form.

"So, me again?"

"So, you still," Chen replies, with a little less bite than he would've normally.

Suho cut in before anyone could say anything else. "Consensus is they were looking for Y/N, but that still doesn't explain how they knew Chen wasn't going to be in the security room... Did anyone say anything about even the possibility of a meeting?"

After everyone shook their heads no, Suho took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "If I find evidence of a leak or bug, so fucking help me, I'll kill everyone."

Nobody responded to the leader's threat, so Xiumin turned his head to you.

"Y/N... How did you find out about the attack?"

Every pair of eyes in the room lasered in on you, probably wondering if you were somehow behind this. Meeting all of their stares back, you tell them what had happened.

"When I was in the living room, I was staring out at that light by the tree line, and I kept seeing it disappear. At first, I thought it was the wind, but then I realized it was a person, so I crawled over to the window and saw three of them out there. You guys know the rest."

"Good job for quickly realizing what was going to happen. If we hadn't had a warning, it could've been way worse."

Suho flashed you a smile that made your breath catch. Not because of his attractiveness, but because it was your brother at that moment. You blinked a couple times and shook your head a tiny bit, and it went away. He looked like the man you had come to know as the leader of EXO.

You must be truly mentally exhausted if your starting to see your dead brother in other people. Peeking back up at Suho, you couldn't help but pick out all the similarities he had to your brother that you had previously ignored. It was eerie.

"Y/N?"

You snap out of your thoughts and realize they're all looking at you curiously.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Sehun tilts his head at you and says, "I asked where you learned to shoot like that..?"

"Oh... A friend taught me when I was a teenager. I guess I was a pretty natural shot."

"I'll say. You saved our ass."

"I really wouldn't go that far."

Xiumin interrupts your and Sehun's conversation. "Why did you leave this room? I mean, I'm glad, but we told you to stay here..."

"I knew I was a good shot, so I decided I wasn't going to hide when I knew I could do something."

"Well, thank you for stepping up and helping us," Suho tells you.

"What do we do now? What's the plan?" D.O. asks.

"We're going to go catch ourselves a Baem member."

Through wide eyes, you looked at the leader and then the other members. You knew there would be retaliation. That's how all these groups worked, but it was still weird to hear it so blatantly stated like that. The men nodded like that was obviously the route that needed to be taken.

From your right, you see Chanyeol glance over at Sehun, and the two shared another look. That's when you remember something Suho had said when you first came. Something about how Jongin and Sehun were the best at getting information out of people. and that the methods they used weren't even remotely close to humane.

Looking over at Sehun, you wonder how someone who didn't want to join EXO would become one of the scariest members and the best at torture.

"Before we start, I want to excuse Y/N from the meeting."

When you looked back at Suho with confusion and a protest on your lips, he stopped you with a look.

"You're not going to want to hear any of this."


	13. Part 13

In the following days, the EXO members kept whatever plans they made away from you. Nobody would speak about it, and, not that you were particularly dying to know the specifics, you were still insanely curious... What went into capturing a rival gang member?

You quickly learned to give up on asking, because you knew you weren't going to get anywhere with it and decided to spend your time bugging Jongin who was bedridden. All of you were thankful when he started acting like his normal self again. His color had returned, as well as his appetite and his urge to move around. He argued with Baekhyun and Yixing about being able to leave his bed so often that the two only visited him when they had to.

Life had seemed to go back to as normal as it could be while being in a house with a mafia gang, and it had been a nice and quiet week.

That was until earlier when you saw Xiumin and D.O. dragging an unfamiliar, unconscious male down a flight of stairs that you weren't allowed to go down.

The day had started like any other. You had grabbed some breakfast and wandered towards the living room, but before you could sit down, you heard a thump come from the hallway. Curious, you turned back toward the hall and poked your head out, just in time for the two of them to walk by with the man.

Your mouth fell open because that had been the last thing you expected at that moment, and it had caught the pair's attention. D.O. looked from you to the man and back, then flashed you a quick smile. "He'll be fine", he said as they dragged him toward the stairway. All you could do was stare after them dumbfounded until you had finally snapped out of it.

The whole rest of your day had been thrown off from the knowledge that there was a Baem member downstairs, and he was probably getting the shit beat out of him. You had tried to distract yourself and so had some of the guys, but it didn't work. You found yourself becoming more and more curious about what Sehun and Xiumin, who had to step into Jongin's place, were doing. Which is probably what had led you to the door at the top of the stairs.

You had been standing there, listening to the horrible sounds and screams, long enough to become disgusted with yourself, but you couldn't turn away, no matter how much you wanted to.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Chanyeol's voice snapped you out of the trance-like state you had been in, and you turned to see him jogging over to you. He didn't look angry at you being there, just confused and a little worried.

"Um... I don't... really have a good answer for that."

Chanyeol now wore the same dumbfounded look that had graced your face earlier, but it was wiped away the moment you both heard, "Please, please don't, please don't", followed by an unpleasant scream.

Chanyeol grabbed your arm with a harsh grip and yanked you down the hallway. There was no point in attempting to fight him because he was way stronger than you and incredibly determined to get you out of there. Besides, your mind was still back at that door, listening to the man’s horrified screams.

Chanyeol whirled on you the second you reached the living room.

"What the hell was that, Y/N?! Why are you standing there listening to that?"

"They're down there torturing somebody!"

Chanyeol flung his arms in the air with a "no shit" look and shouted, "Exactly!"

Sighing frustratedly, you lean against the back of the couch and fold your arms. "At first, I was curious... I wanted to know what they were doing... But I also wanted to hear his answers. Why am I in the middle of this shit? Why are they after me? Chanyeol... I need to know the answers."

His face softened as he listened to you, and he let out a sad sigh. "I wish I could give them to you. I really do, but listening to that isn't going to help you. It's going to fuck you up. Besides, whatever Sehun and Xiumin learn down there, they'll tell us."

Knowing he was right, you gave up quickly. "Yeah... you're right."

"Usually", he replied, with a growing smirk.

Squinting your eyes at him in disgust, he let out a loud laugh, but once the laughter died down, a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"It's getting late. Maybe you should go to bed."

As you move around him toward the door, you say, "Yes, father."

"You want me to tuck you in too, princess?" He calls after you.

"Go fuck yourself, Chan."

You walk out of the room with a trail of laughter following you. That's what you liked about Chanyeol. He was always quick to laugh, and it was refreshing.

You head up to your room and get ready for bed. You hadn't realized it before Chanyeol had said something, but you were pretty exhausted, so it didn't surprise you when you were out in only a couple of minutes.

___________________________________

"Oh yeah, this will be fun." The man smirked.

You were hiding in your closet, trying to be as silent as possible as the two men tortured your mother. You watched as they stabbed and cut your mother over and over again, silent tears making their way down your face.

It seemed to go on forever. Your mother, the strongest person you ever knew, refused to cry out or scream like they were yelling at her to do. They wanted her to beg, but they also wanted information about your family.

They were yelling so loudly that you all almost missed the shouts from downstairs. However, you couldn't miss the gunshots that rang through the air. At that moment, you knew your father and his men were home, but this other group had men waiting for them downstairs, and they were ready to attack.

The men in the room with you shared a glance before returning to your mom. They gave her one final blow to the stomach, and she slowly leaned forward. You watched her slump, and you knew. Your mom was gone.

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself together. The taste of blood almost instantly filled your mouth. It distracted you until you noticed a thumping noise coming up the stairs and your heart stopped, dreading what was to come.

What you saw in the doorway made your heart sink. Two more men were dragging your father by the tie around his throat. He was clawing at it, trying to get air into his lungs, but he stopped once he realized he was being pulled into your room. He frantically looked around until his eyes found your mom.

His eyes bulged as he tried to get to his feet and to your mother, but the men fought him and threw him on the floor. One of them straddled your struggling father and began pounding his fists into his face. He went on until your father stopped fighting, then he ripped off your father's tie and shoved it into his mouth. When the man got off of him, your father rolled to his side to look up at your mother.

One of the men who had been torturing her smiled and asked, "You want to see the misses?"

He then gripped a fistful of her hair and yanked her head up. Her vacant eyes and bloody face stared at nothing. Your father leaned back and closed his eyes as tears fell down the sides of his face.

"You should be proud. She didn't make a single sound the entire time."

At that point, you looked away from your father because you couldn't watch him fall apart. Instead, you stared at the two men, memorizing their faces until you knew where each wrinkle, mole, and tattoo was. Then you moved on to the other two that had drug your father upstairs. It was then that you realized they had stayed off to the sides and away from what was happening.

Your eyes were pulled back to your father when you saw one of the men pick up a hammer. When he walked toward your father, panic filled you. You were about to lose both of your parents, and you didn't even know where your brother was. You were going to be left completely alone, and you were terrified.

As the man's arm raised to strike your father, a sound slid past your lips that caused everything to pause.

The man with the hammer nodded his head to his friend, "Go see what's inside."

You held your breath and tried to burrow in deeper, but there was nowhere else for you to go. The man reached for the door and slowly slid it open, revealing you to the room.

He then harshly gripped your arm and yanked you out of the closet, causing you to sprawl out onto the floor. The terror you were feeling tripled as you looked around the room. The two men who had killed your mom had smiles on their faces, while the two men off to the side looked panicked. They looked over at your father, who was staring at you through wide, fearful eyes. He quickly made eye contact with the two men at the back and looked back and forth between you before settling back on you.

His eyes then looked over at your mother and back at you as he started to sob. His entire body shaking. He knew what you had seen and knew what you were going to see.

"Daddy," you choke out.

He looked up at the two men and started vigorously shaking his head, silently begging them not to do anything to you.

"Awe, how sad... Say goodbye to your daddy, little girl." One of them said.

You knew there was no way out of this and that no one was going to come and save you, so instead of begging or fighting, you turned to your father. With tears flowing down your face, you say, "I love you, daddy", and watch the man swing the hammer.

________________________________________

"No!!"

You spring up in your bed and quickly take in your surroundings. The haunting past clung onto you like a stain. You so desperately wanted to forget that night, but it was seared into your brain. It would forever be a part of you.

A moment later, your door flew open, and a wide-eyed Baekhyun ran into the room. He visually searched the room and found only you, sitting in your bed. He visibly relaxed once he realized there was no threat.

"Another dream?"

You nod your head as he walks over to your bed and climbs in with you. Gently putting an arm around you, he pulls you back with him and holds you, running a soothing hand down your arm.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He calmly asks you.

"I don't want to talk about it... but I need to tell you..."

You needed to tell him about that night. Not because you wanted to, but because you had finally placed that Elder that you recognized. He was in your room the night your parents were killed.

But to tell him about that night... you needed to tell him everything.

"You don't have to if you don't want to..."

"Yes, I do, but I'm scared because when I tell you what I'm about to, everything will change."

He stayed silent, contemplating your words, so you continued.

"I'll let you decide what you want to do after. If you want to tell Suho or not, but please, let me tell you everything before you decide."

You sit up and face him to show him how serious you were. He continued to lay down and stare at the ceiling before swallowing and looking at you.

"I'll listen to everything, I promise... I know... I know that you've been through some bad things, so once you finish, we'll talk through it together."

Confused, you furrow your eyebrows at him. How did he know what you had been through?

"What are you talking about?"

He sighed and sat up, meeting your gaze.

"When you first came here... I was the one who changed you out of your clothes... I've seen all the marks and scars on your body..."

Your eyes widen with realization. Thinking back, you remembered being put in a hospital gown, but you shoved aside what that meant because you were too scared at the moment. You had completely forgotten about it until now.

"But nobody has said - "

"I didn't tell anyone about them. As long as you weren't a threat to us, it wasn't their business."

"I don't know what to say..." You whisper.

"I'm just letting you know you can trust me..."

You search Baekhyun's eyes as you processed the fact that he had kept two of your secrets from the others. First your necklace, that was still hidden in your pillowcase, and second your scars. You started to feel emotional, but you put a lid on it and shoved it back down.

Clearing your throat, you say, "thank you", and at his nod, you continue.

"When the Elders were here, do you remember how they acted when they saw me?" He looks off to the side, clearly thinking back, and then he nods. "Well, I don't know Xiumin's father or Janghoon, but that third Elder, Hosung, I've seen him before... The night my parents were killed."

Baekhyun's eyes sharpened on you as he assessed what you said. "Your parents weren't in a car accident, were they?"

"No..." You meet his stare, shaking your head.

"Who are you?" He quietly asks.

"My dad was in the mafia... but I don't know what group he belonged to..."

You not only saw Baekhyun tense up, but you felt it from beside you. All you could do was hold your breath and wait for him to say something.

"I need you to start from the beginning."

"My father was the leader of a group, and when I was younger, I watched him and my mother be tortured to death. I had an older brother as well, but he was killed, also."

Baekhyun's eyes widened and he searched your face while trying to hide his horror from you. "You watched it..?"

"Yeah... My mom came into my room and hid me in the closet. The men came up after her and tortured her. Then, they dragged my father upstairs and did the same thing to him."

"What about your brother?"

"I was put in the hospital after, and my brother never came for me. I know that sounds stupid, but my brother and I were super close, and there's no way in hell he would ever leave me behind. If he were still alive, he would've found me."

Baekhyun bit his lip before saying, "I don't want to doubt you, but are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life."

"Okay", he nods, "What does this have to do with Hosung?"

Taking a breath, you say, "He was one of the men in the room the night my parents were killed."

Baekhyun froze, not meeting your stare. "Are you saying EXO killed your family?"

"No. I don't think so. That's the part that confuses me."

He stood up from your bed and began pacing the length of your room. His eyes were lit with anxiety and possibilities. "An EXO Elder was there the night your parents, one of them being a mafia leader, were killed?"

You rise to your knees and face him, trying to calm him down and to stop him from jumping to the conclusions you knew he was jumping to. "It sounds bad when you put it like that, but you didn't let me finish."

Pausing in his step, he looks over at you with incredulous eyes and whisper-yelled, "Y/N, it sounds bad because it is bad. If Suho hears this, then he would think you're here for revenge!"

"I'm not!" You whisper yell back. "You would know that if you let me finish like you promised."

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and scrubs a hand down his face. "Okay... okay."

He walks over to your chair and sits down, so you turn to face him and sit right in front of him. "Yes, an EXO Elder was there, but the two men who tortured and killed my parents had Baem tattoos."

His head jerks up, and his eyes narrow in on you. "How do you know they were Baem tattoos?"

"The night of the attack. The ones who attacked Jongin and Sehun had the same tattoos. I don't know how I forgot them from that night, but I remember it now."

"Y/N, this is absolutely fucking insane." He looks at you dumbfounded.

"I know, and I don't know what to do." You tell him, your voice cracking at the end of your sentence.

He sighs and looks down at the ground for a moment before shaking his head.

"Give me a rundown of all the interactions between the men that night."

"The two men that killed my parents had Baem tattoos. There were two other men there that night, one being Hosung, but they stayed off to the side and didn't participate. When they found me - "

"Wait, they found you? Is that how you got..." His words trailed off as he looked down your body.

An uncomfortable feeling wound its way through your chest. Not because of his stare, but because of the reminders of that night that were permanently on your body. "A lot of it, yeah..."

"Jesus christ, how old were you?"

Shrugging, you say, "12. 13. I don't really remember. Anyways, when they saw me, Hosung and the other guy looked slightly panicked... and they made eye contact with my dad..."

"And then?"

"I didn't realize it then, but after that dream... it seemed like my dad was gesturing to me with his eyes... I don't know, whatever he did, they understood."

"Are you saying your dad knew Hosung?" Baekhyun asks, scooting closer to the edge of the seat.

Nodding, you say, "I think so..."

He grabs your hands, pulling you towards him, and forces you to look at him.

"Y/N, I need you to tell me your father's name."

Searching his eyes, you say, "Kim Jungsik..."

"And your brother?"

"Junmyeon."


	14. Part 14

Baekhyun's POV

When Baekhyun left your room, his head was spinning. There was so much more to you than any of them realized. The things you've seen and endured... He wasn't sure if he could wish them on his worst enemy.

As he walked back to his room, he knew there would be no going back to sleep after this. All he could think about was everything you had told him. It was a big jumbled mess in his head, and a lot of things about your story had bugged him. The first being that Hosung was there the night your parents were killed. If he was there, does that mean it was an EXO sanctioned kill?

Yet, that didn't make any sense because there were Baem members there... Why was Hosung with them? The only thing that made sense was that he was a part of the leak... They knew an Elder was involved, but nobody suspected Hosung. He had flown under their radar and acted like he really cared about them. Yet, he was working with the other side? Could this be bigger than they originally thought?

Baekhyun walked into his room, shutting the door behind him, and sat down on his bed. He stared at his plain bedroom wall and tried to build a mental map of everything you had told him.

Hosung was connected to the Baem, and if you were right about the timeline, then he had been working with them for nearly 15 years.

The second thing about your story that bugged him was the familiarity of it. It sounded so much like Suho's family story. Too much. However, Baekhyun couldn't just go up to Suho and ask him about it. In all of the years Baekhyun had been here, Suho refused to talk about his family. He had only been told bits and pieces from Jongin, who was the only one besides Xiumin that had been around long enough to know what happened to Suho's family.

The men didn't even know Suho's real name, but Baekhyun was betting it was Kim Junmyeon, and there was only one way to find out. He needed to talk to Jongin.

Your POV

It had been four hours since you told Baekhyun about your past. 240 minutes of you staring at just about everything in your room to distract yourself. After he left, you had laid in your bed, waiting for what, you didn't know. Had he immediately gone and told Suho what you said? You doubted that because you knew Suho would've come to you by now... What was Baekhyun thinking?

Remembering back to his face when you had told him everything, you couldn't put a finger on his thoughts. He hadn't shown any recognition towards the names of your family, but something had crossed his face. A thought or idea, but it was gone so quickly you couldn't grasp what it was.

Sighing, you roll over onto your side. Had you made the right decision sharing your secret? Should you have stayed quiet and pretended you had never seen Hosung..? It seemed like the Elders were going to stay quiet about it since they had only told Suho to get rid of you... Well, there was nothing to do about it now. You would have to deal with the consequences.

Bringing your hand up to your pillowcase, you run it along the bottom until you can feel the outline of the "K" on your necklace. Immediately taking comfort in it, you begin to relax until a knock on your door has you shooting straight up. Your heart starts pounding, and a sick feeling settles into your stomach.

"Yeah?" You call out quietly, hoping whoever it was wouldn't hear you, but you knew you weren't that lucky when the door begins to open.

Holding your breath, you stare down the doorway until you see Chanyeol's fluffy hair pop out from behind the door. You let your entire body relax and let go of the breath you had been holding in.

"Yo."

"Morning..." You eye him suspiciously. Had Baekhyun really not told anyone? Chanyeol didn't look like he knew any secrets, and nobody else had come to talk to you...

"Get dressed and meet me in the hallway."

Your heart stutters at his words. Maybe Baekhyun did say something...

"What's up?" You ask with as much indifference as you could muster.

"Look, I know it's early, but I'm forcing you to come with me to the store."

A look of bewilderment crosses your face, and you didn't bother to hide it. "Excuse me?"

"I'm taking you out of the house and forcing you to go to the store with me," Chanyeol tells you, crossing his arms over his chest with a look of determination on his face.

"But why?"

You hadn't left the house in months, only exploring the backyard when you found the motivation to do so. At first, you stayed because they wouldn't let you leave, but now you didn't want to, so why was he forcing you to go?

"Being completely honest, I'm worried about you. After I saw you outside of that door... I don't know, I just feel like a change of scenery will be good for you. Also, there's no point in saying no because I'll literally just force you anyways." He responds with a shrug.

So that was what this was about... Chanyeol was worried about you since he caught you listening to a man being tortured. Made sense if you thought about it.

"Is it even safe for us to go out after the attack?"

"It's never safe for us to go out, but they need more supplies for Jongin's wound, and we also need food, so it's gotta be done. Plus, Chen has been keeping watch on the area, and there hasn't been any suspicious activity in days."

After thinking about it for a minute, you decide it wouldn't be so bad to leave the house and see some new faces. "Well... alright. It'd be nice to pick up my own things for once."

"Believe me, we're all thrilled we don't have to buy your womanly products this time." He jokes with a smirk.

"Get out."

He heads to the door and throws out a "five minutes" before shutting it.

You quickly get dressed and meet Chanyeol in the hallway. A part of you is extremely relieved when you leave the house without seeing any of the other guys.  
___________________________________

As the two of you were shopping, you quickly noticed the attention Chanyeol received. He, however, was completely oblivious to it, or he was damn good at pretending not to notice. He continued on his merry way scanning each face for a threat and then continuing your conversation. You became used to all the looks and learned to ignore it by the third store, but that didn't stop you from teasing the absolute shit out of him.

"Eight."

"What?"

"Eight people have checked out your ass so far."

Chanyeol groans and looks up at the ceiling. "Shut up."

He walks out of the last store, leaving you trailing behind him, but you quickly catch up to him on the sidewalk to continue the teasing.

"I mean... it is nice."

"Are you trying to hit on me?" He smirks.

"Mmm. Personally, that's not the line I would choose."

Waving his arm in front of him, he says, "Well, go ahead then. Wow me with your pick up lines."

You open your mouth to respond to him when you notice Chanyeol stiffen, causing you to snap your mouth shut and immediately go on guard.

"Listen to me carefully." He tells you in the most serious tone you've ever heard from him.

Peering up at his face, you notice that any joking expression he had was long gone. Dread fills you because you know there's only one reason for him to act that way.

"We're being followed, and I need you to stay calm and do exactly what I say."

Baekhyun's POV

Baekhyun occupied himself until he couldn't stand it anymore. If Jongin wasn't awake, which odds were good he wasn't, Baekhyun was going to have to wake him up himself.

He quickly made his way down to the younger man's room and opened the door, not bothering with knocking. To his surprise, Jongin was awake and channel surfing on the TV.

When he looked over to see who had barged into his room, his face lit up with relief at the sight of Baekhyun.

"Please say you're coming in here to tell me I'm no longer on bed rest."

"Jongin, you just had a kidney removed two weeks ago."

"Yeah, and these last two weeks have been boring as hell. Please tell me I can leave." He leans closer to Baekhyun and puts on a pouty face.

Baekhyun waved him away and sat down in the chair next to the bed, wanting to talk about why he came down here. "I'll check you out later. Right now, I need to talk to you."

Jongin's eyes lit up, and he pulled himself into a sitting position. It took everything Baekhyun had in him to not yank him back down into a laying position so he wouldn't pull at his stitches, but he let it go.

"What's up?"

"First, I have to know... What's Suho's real name?"

A look crossed Jongin's face, and Baekhyun knew he was going to try to get out of telling him, but there was no way he was leaving this room without the answers he came looking for.

"Stop with the secrecy, man. I'll tell you why after."

Jongin sighs. "You better not say it around anybody because I'm not trying to deal with a pissed off leader."

"He's always pissed off, so that's nothing new."

Jongin nods in agreement before saying, "His real name is Junmyeon."

Baekhyun knew it. He fucking knew it.

"Why?"

"Was his father’s name Kim Jungsik?"

Jongin freezes, and his eyes narrow in on Baekhyun, confirming all of his thoughts. You were their leader's sister, and you were supposed to be dead.

"What the fuck is going on, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. How was he supposed to convince anyone else of your story?

"Y/N... She's his sister."

Jongin made a disgusted sound. "That's not fucking funny."

"I'm not fucking laughing." Baekhyun countered, meeting his glare.

"Seoyeon died over a decade ago."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure she's upstairs."

Jongin was becoming visibly angry, and Baekhyun knew he was going to have to do damage control.

"Is that what she's saying? Because she's a fucking liar if she is."

"No, that's not what she's saying. I'm saying it. She doesn't know anything about this."

Jongin stared at him completely lost, and Baekhyun sighed.

"She told me about this nightmare she's been having about the night her parents died. Her parents were tortured and killed right in front of her when she was younger. Her father, Kim Jungsik, was a mafia leader, but she apparently didn't know which group. Her older brother, Junmyeon, hadn't been home when it happened, and she later figured he had been killed."

"She told you that? She's lying. Someone fed her information."

Baekhyun tilts his head at Jongin, giving him a "really" expression. "Jongin, it's Y/N. We've befriended this person. Does she seem like she'd lie about something like this? Or decide to try and trick us after being here for how many months now? Not to mention the only people who know the whole story are you, Xiumin, and Suho."

Jongin considered his words, while Baekhyun sat and watched the battle on his face, before he slumped, the fight leaving his body. "So she's..."

"I'd bet my life on it, but she has no idea. Neither of them does."

Jongin looked down at his hands and processed everything. Baekhyun was watching him when a thought crossed his mind.

"Did you know her when you were younger?"

He nods. "She hung out with us a few times when we were little, but then Jungsik stopped bringing her around... Are you seriously telling me Y/N is Seoyeon?"

"Yeah... and that's not all I have to tell you."

An exasperated look fell on his face like he couldn't believe Baekhyun could drop another bomb like the one he just did. "What the hell else?"

"She was telling me about the night their parents died... Do you remember the Elder’s reactions to her being here?" He waited until Jongin nods to continue. "She remembered Hosung being there that night, and he was with Baem members."

Jongin shot up so fast, a look of pain crossed his face for a second. "He's our leak?"

"He's definitely part of it."

Jongin leaned back in his bed with a "what the fuck" look on his face.

"But... Janghoon and Xiumin's dad reacted to her too... That must mean they know who she is too..."

Now it was Baekhyun's turn to sit back. After thinking about everything you had told him, that was the one thing he had neglected to remember.

"Do you think all of the Elders know about this?"

Jongin shakes his head and says, "It's too early to process all of this."

"Dude, I've been up since four," Baekhyun replies.

Jongin meets his stare. "We need to tell Suho. Now."

Her POV

Chanyeol had just told you that the two of you were being followed and to stay calm. Ha. Yeah, okay.

"Don't look. Don't turn around. Just listen to me. There are two men at our 7 o'clock."

Realizing the men are behind you, you nod your head and manage not to turn around. "Okay. What do we do?"

"When I tell you to run to the car. Go. Don't stop for anyone."

Run? You could do that. "What about you?"

"There's only two of them, and they're probably only tailing us. I can take them."

"But I can help!" You turn to him and whisper loudly. Leaving him behind to fight two gang members didn't sit well with you at all.

"Don't. Don't you dare try to be the hero. I know what I'm doing. This is my job, and I refuse to let whatever happens to you be on my conscience."

You knew there would be no arguing with him about this, and to an extent, he was right. He was the one who had been trained to deal with this type of thing. "Damn it, Chanyeol."

"If I take too long, get in the car and drive. There's a cellphone in the console with the guy's numbers programmed in it."

Running away to the car, so he can focus on what he needed to do was one thing, but completely abandoning him on his own was something you refused to do. No matter how mad he got.

"I'm not leaving you."

"You're going to do whatever you need to do to stay safe. Got it?"

You would tell him what he wanted to hear, but on this, you were going to be stubborn as hell.

"Fine."

Chanyeol picked up his speed, and you followed his cue. From your peripheral vision, you could see him subtly watching the men while also scanning your escape route. When you got to the end of the block, he took a sharp right around the corner, momentarily hiding you behind a cement building.

Suddenly, his hands are thrusting the keys into yours, and he says, "Run. Now."

Pushing off with all your might, you take off in a sprint. Listening to Chanyeol's words, you don't look back and trust that he has it under control. You run across the street toward the parking lot where you left the car and push yourself to keep going.

As soon as you made it to the parking lot, which was almost at the end of the block, you took a chance and looked back at Chanyeol. What you saw had your heart stopping.

A third man had joined the other two, and they were hitting Chanyeol with various objects. He was putting up a fight, but you could tell he was quickly losing the battle. He needed backup, so you needed to get to the car and call for help.

As hard as it was, you turned away from the scene to retrieve the cellphone and to search for a weapon. Chanyeol had to have a gun or something in his car. That was the only way you could help him right now.

Damn it! You shouldn't have left him! Maybe you could've been a distraction or something! Angry at yourself and the entire situation you head towards the car, only to stop dead in your tracks.

A black van was blocking Chanyeol's car in his parking spot, and if that already didn't send up red flags, the fact that you couldn't see anyone in it did.

You didn't know what to do. Do you take the chance that it was empty and get to the car? Or do you try to find help a different way?

Not wanting to waste time, you decide to take a chance and go for the car. The only people who could help him now were EXO, not a random person who would be dragged into this mess.

You walk around a few vehicles so you could approach the car from the opposite side of the van and take note that there was no movement around you. Quickly, you walk up to the driver's side door and look through the keys for the car key.

Finding it, you start to put it in the keyhole when an ominous feeling washes over you. Before you can look up and search for whatever was giving you bad vibes, a hand reaches into your hair and slams your face into the window.

Pain blinded you and traveled down your body to your toes. For a second, you were stunned, only seeing a blinding white followed by black spots in your vision. Confusion crossed your mind until the hand pulled your head back painfully and whispered, "Hello, Seoyeon".

Before you could correct him and tell him you weren't Seoyeon, two gunshots traveled through the air, stealing whatever breath was left in your lungs.

Chanyeol...

The man behind you chuckles deeply before slamming your head into the car even harder than before.

You felt your body begin to slump and helplessly watched as darkness swallowed you whole.


	15. Part 15

Baekhyun's POV

"This is so not going to go well."

Baekhyun couldn't agree more with what Jongin was saying, but it had to be done. They had to tell Suho that you were his sister. This wasn't something they could hide or pretend never happened. However, that didn't stop Baekhyun from feeling absolutely sick to his stomach. Suho could be terrifying, and this information could send him over the edge.

"I think I'd rather be shot again than do what we're about to do."

"Seriously not helping." Baekhyun sighed as he pushed the wheelchair at Jongin, who looks at it in disgust.

"I'm not using that thing."

"I will literally push you down a flight of stairs if you don't get in this damn wheelchair."

Jongin smirked before saying, "Kind of redundant, though, isn't it?"

Baekhyun closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. He takes a deep breath, knowing that Jongin was trying to delay this as much as Baekhyun wanted to, but they needed to do it now. Only a moment later, he heard Jongin sit down in the wheelchair, muttering to himself the whole time.

Baekhyun went to reach down for the handles of the wheelchair, but Jongin quickly turned around and glared at him.

"Do. Not. Try to push me."

"Fine. Meet me in the meeting room and grab everyone you see on the way. I'll go upstairs and get whoever is up there."

With that being said, the duo split up and rounded up the guys. About 10 minutes later, everyone was in the meeting room, except for you and Chanyeol.

"Where are the other two?" Kyungsoo asks.

"Chanyeol went out on a store run, and he took Y/N with him," Sehun informs the room.

A few of the men shared surprised glances, and even Baekhyun became irked. How was he going to get Suho to believe him if you weren't even here to defend yourself or tell your side of the story? Fuck, he should've checked to make sure you were here, but he didn't think he had to.

"He took her out into the city even though we know the Baem are looking for her?" Suho asks in an annoyed tone.

"He was worried about her. He thought she was falling in deep, just like the rest of us." Sehun defends his cousin.

Jongdae chimes in from across the room, "I've been scouting out the area for a few days and nothing has been out of the ordinary. If he's careful, they'll be fine."

It was silent for a moment before Xiumin looked between Baekhyun and Jongin and asked, "Why are we here?"

Baekhyun took a breath and exchanged glances with Jongin before addressing the room.

"There are a couple of things that I have to tell you guys, and though I wish Y/N was here, it can't really wait any longer."

"Y/N? What does she have to do with it?" Yixing voices the question on all the guy's minds.

"It's because of her I was able to find out this information, and Jongin and I were able to connect the dots."

The men collectively lean towards him, interested in whatever he was about to say.

"We know who's a part of the leak."

There were a couple of "whos" and a "how" that followed, so Baekhyun raised a finger and waited until he had all of their attention again.

"It's a long, complicated story, so just bear with me. There are things I'm going to say that are going to shock you and piss you off, but I need you to stay quiet and listen until the end." Baekhyun turns toward Suho and takes a breath,

"Hosung was there the night your parents were killed."

Suho immediately shifted and opened his mouth to say something, but Baekhyun continued before he could.

"Hosung was there with Baem members and possibly another Elder."

"How do you know this?" Suho cut him off.

"Y/N told me."

The men look at each other and then at Suho, who stared at Baekhyun in pure confusion.

"Why would she know that?"

"Because she was there that night, and it was her parents that were killed."

Movement inside the room completely ceased. Baekhyun wasn't even sure if he was still breathing at this point. He didn't take his eyes away from Suho, but he felt every other member slowly looking over at their leader, quickly realizing what Baekhyun was saying.

Suho's face gave away nothing, but Baekhyun had known him long enough to see the rage building in his eyes.

"Spit it out." Suho challenged.

"She's your sister."

Suho was out of his seat before Baekhyun could say anything else. He quickly rushed Baekhyun, but the other men caught Suho before he could get to him. The fury was pulsing out of him, and it took three men to hold him back. Baekhyun tried to stay calm, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't terrified of Suho at that moment.

"How fucking dare you!" Suho shouts.

"Listen to me! Her father was Kim Jungsik! She was put into a foster home after your parents were killed!" Baekhyun tries to reason, but it only pisses Suho off more, even going as far as to throw fists at the members holding him back.

Xiumin, one of the men holding Suho back, looks over at Baekhyun in anger. "Baekhyun shut the hell up!"

Suho slowly quit fighting to glare at Baekhyun, and in a seething tone, yelled, "Why would you lie about this?! After your sister was murdered too?"

As quick as that, Baekhyun felt himself shut down. Not even looking as the remaining members, who weren't holding Suho, were suddenly standing by him, like they expected him to attack. However, Baekhyun wasn't angry at his comment, just hurt. Hurt enough to almost say "fuck it" and leave, but he couldn't do that to you. He couldn't live with himself knowing he had a chance to fix this and didn't take it.

"She thinks she lost her brother that night too. His name was Kim Junmyeon." Baekhyun quietly says.

At those words, Suho froze, shock evident on both his and Xiumin's faces. As the leader slowly sank to the floor, the remaining members looked between the three of them in confusion.

"For those who don't know, our leader's name is Kim Junmyeon," Baekhyun tells them, before looking down at Suho. "Your sister is alive, unlike mine, so you need to stop being fucking ungrateful and pull yourself together. When you're actually ready to talk, come find me, and maybe I'll tell you the rest of the story."

Suho's POV

Suho watched as Baekhyun turned around and left the room, but he couldn't bring himself to move or say anything. The sounds in the room were muffled like he was underwater, and he almost felt the need to gasp for breath. Baekhyun's last words kept replaying in his mind, "your sister is alive, your sister is alive"... Could it really be you? Could any of this be real?

It didn't make sense... It couldn't be possible... but what if it was? What if you were his baby sister..?

But what if you were lying? Playing them? ...If you were lying, then you were worse than dead.

He felt Minseok pulling him up to his feet with a, "Get up, man."

"Where is she?" He grits out.

When he doesn't get a response, he pulls himself to his feet and whirls on his members, who were carefully watching him.

"I said. Where. The fuck. Is she?"

"She's with Chanyeol... remember?" Jongdae quietly answers.

Suho climbed through his foggy brain and remembered the discussion they had right before Baekhyun dropped the bomb.

"Get them fucking back here now."  
__________________________________________-

Two hours pass and nobody could get ahold of Chanyeol. Suho was exactly two seconds away from burning the house down. His rage, pain, and confusion could hardly be contained, but he calmed himself down enough that he was ready to talk to Baekhyun again. Minseok was with him in the living room to make sure that the pair didn't kill each other.

When Baekhyun walked in, he looked indifferent, hiding whatever he was feeling from them. Suho knew he took it too far when he brought up Jisoo, and he knew he needed to make amends for that. He never wanted his men to feel like they needed to hide their true feelings from him.

He waited until Baekhyun sat on the couch to say, "I'm sorry for bringing her up... It was a messed up thing for me to do."

"Thanks..." Baekhyun nods. He looks across the room before turning his attention back to Suho. "Are you ready for me to tell you what I know?"

"Please..."

"The night your parents were killed, she was there, hiding in the closet. She recognized the two men who committed the act as Baem members by their tattoos, which she saw the night Jongin was attacked. Hosung and another man, who my guess would be an Elder, brought your father upstairs into the room. Once she told me that, the Elder’s reactions to her made sense. They know exactly who she is. Hosung, Janghoon..." He stops and glances over at Minseok. "Your father... They all know."

Suho was nearly speechless as he processed everything, and he knew Minseok was too.

"If she is who you're claiming she is. Are you saying she watched our parents be murdered? Not to mention that if she is who you think she is, the Elders knew my sister has been alive this whole time?"

"Yes."

Suho takes a long, deep breath running through every possible scenario in his mind to try to make this all make sense.

"And she doesn't know about this? About me?"

"No. She thinks her brother is dead."

Suho begins to feel sympathy for you, but then he slams a wall down on those feelings. Locking them up and throwing away the key. He refused to let himself feel anything besides suspicion and anger because if Baekhyun was wrong or you were lying, Suho knew he literally wouldn't survive this.

Minseok leans forward, placing his arms on his knees. "We need to call a meeting with the Elders and end this once and for all."

Oh, Suho was going to call a meeting with the Elders alright. Those bastards were going to have hell raining down on them if any of this was true.

Your POV

Slowly, you begin to gain consciousness, but the throbbing in your head was almost enough to pull you back into the darkness. You try to assess your situation, and within a second, you realize you’re blindfolded. The heavy fabric tied tightly to your head left zero room for light to bleed through.

The next thing you notice is that your arms and legs are tied to the chair they sat you down on. You pull a little with each limb and find that your body is tied just as tightly as your blindfold.

Continuing your search, you discover that the only place on your body that was hurt was your head, so if you had the chance to get free, you weren't going to be hindered by any other injuries.

In the meantime, since you weren't going anywhere, you try to use your other senses to hopefully get an idea of where you are.

Quieting your breathing, you tune your ears to any sound you hear. Behind you, to your right, there was a dripping sound, like water leaking out of a sink. Not enough to bug you right away, but you knew it could be used as a long torture method. From in front of you came a scuffing sound, but without your eyesight, you could only guess what it was.

Cautiously, you take a slow, deep breath and instantly get a whiff of dampness, like mold, and a small sense of a tangy, metallic smell, like copper. If you had to guess, you were in a room with pipes, possibly underground. You shake your head and move on, not wanting to get stuck on possibilities.

A slight, damp breeze brushed across your face from the left, letting you know that was probably the only exit out of this room.

"She's awake."

You freeze at the voice that came from in front of you. Someone was in here with you the whole time! You mentally curse yourself, realizing that scuffing sound must've been them.

When you don't hear a reply, you figure that he must have an earpiece in.

"Stuck on babysitting duty?" You taunt.

A light laugh fills the air before he says, "Spirit. I like it. Hopefully, you can keep it longer than the last man in your spot."

His words shut you up, and fear seeps in, but you hold it at bay and force a small smile on your face. Before you can say anything back, however, you hear footsteps approaching from the doorway on your left.

You try to count the steps to get an idea of how many were coming, but the sounds echoed off the walls, confusing you. You heard at least three come in, plus the babysitting bozo.

Trying to keep your expression bored, you stay quiet, waiting for whatever they had planned.

"Well, well, well, look whose finally decided to join us."

Kyungsoo's POV

Kyungsoo wandered through the parking lot in search of Chanyeol's vehicle. Luckily for them, it was close to closing time, so there were only a few other vehicles in the lot with his.

Suho had waited for most of the day before he sent him and Sehun out to find you and Chanyeol. Kyungsoo was impressed Suho had waited that long, but he had to admit that even he was nervous. Chanyeol did whatever he wanted and was known for being reckless, but he would never put you in danger longer than necessary.

Not to mention that with Chanyeol gone, Sehun was even more on edge than usual. Two pissed off murderers in one place were never good odds.

As he reached Chanyeol's car, his first thought was that it looked normal. He peered through the passenger window into the interior of the car and noticed the lack of shopping bags, which caused his stomach to drop.

He walked around to the driver's side, where a shine of metal slightly under the car caught his eye. Reaching down, he grabs for the object and pulls it out, finding Chanyeol's keys in his hand. Dropping to the ground, he peers under the car to see if anything else was down there but saw nothing.

As he stood up, the driver window caught his attention. He only looked for a second before he noticed there was blood smeared on it.

He knew right then that this was much worse than they realized.

Sehun's POV

As he checked out their usual stores, Sehun became increasingly agitated. Nobody had heard from you or Chanyeol all day, and that was very abnormal for Chanyeol. Sehun knew in his gut something really bad happened, and he was pissed off at himself for waiting so long to get out here. They should've come looking sooner.

When he checked the last store, he turned to head toward the parking lot, where he told Kyungsoo he'd meet him. As he walked down the sidewalk, a small group of teens coming his way caught his attention.

"That guy had to have died!"

"Totally. There was so much blood."

"Will you guys stop talking about it? It was gross enough to see the stain back there."

Sehun swore he stopped breathing as he listened to them talk. He quickly turned and grabbed the arm of one of the boys who had just passed him and pulled him back.

"What the hell?" The kid angrily yelled. When he looked up at Sehun and took in his expression, his eyes widened, and he froze.

"What were you and your friends just talking about?"

The kid kept opening his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out, so one of his friends answered instead.

"Some guy was shot earlier today."

"Where?"

The second kid brought his hand up and pointed to the end of the block. "Around the corner."

Sehun muttered a "thanks" as he let go of the boy and quickly walked towards the end of the block. He was already pulling his cellphone out to call Jongdae when he turned the corner.

His eyes easily found the stain one of the teens had mentioned, as it took up half of the sidewalk, and his body froze. That... was a lot of blood... That was the type of amount that someone didn't come back from...

His mind began to blank, focusing only on the thought that he was standing exactly where his cousin was murdered. Those kids even thought it themselves...

Forcing himself to breathe, he pushed himself to call Jongdae. He heard the ringing, he heard Jongdae answer, but he couldn't get any words out. It was like that until he heard Jongdae say, "I'm sending back up". That's when Sehun found his voice.

"No. I'm okay."

"Well, thank fuck. Maybe try a 'hello' next time or literally anything else."

Sehun ignored him and immediately got to the topic at hand. "I need you to check the hospital and morgue records."

There was silence on the other end of the phone before Jongdae says, "What am I checking for?"

"Chanyeol."

"Jesus christ..." Jongdae took a deep breath before saying, "Give me two minutes."

Sehun nods, not realizing Jongdae wouldn't be able to see it. He stared at the bloodstain until he caught movement coming toward him from his left.

"What are you staring at?" Kyungsoo asks, walking up the street. He cut in between a couple of parked cars, and once he reached the sidewalk, his eyes immediately found the stain.

Sehun watched him close his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was staring at Sehun. "There's blood smeared on the car, and I found these."

When Sehun sees the keys dangling from Kyungsoo's hand, his body grows cold. They killed Chanyeol, and they took you.

"They took her."

On the other end of the phone, Jongdae stops typing. "I'm sorry. What the fuck did you just say?"

"Did you find anything yet?" Sehun ignores him.

Jongdae sighs before resuming typing. A moment later, he says. "John Doe. 20's. Critical condition. Brought in 8 hours ago."

"Where?" Sehun quickly says, hope flaring to life.

"Hospital on the west side of town."

Sehun moved to hang up, but he heard a shout before he could.

"Wait! What about Y/N?"

"Don't tell Suho anything yet."

"Yes, because dying was on my bucket list today."

Sehun hung up on Jongdae, and Kyungsoo and he were at the hospital faster than was legal.

When they walked in, they quickly found the reception desk. The nurse eyed them as they approached before tightly saying, "Can I help you?"

"I'm trying to find out if my cousin was brought here. I haven't heard from him all day, and there are rumors saying someone got shot." Sehun smoothly says, letting worry slip into his tone.

"Sir, I'm sure your cousin is fine. Just because people are saying - "

Sehun pulled out his phone, ignoring whatever bullshit the nurse was trying to feed him, and found a picture of Chanyeol. He turned the phone towards the nurse and practically shoved it in her face.

Startled, she backed up a bit but then looked down at his phone. Her eyes widened as she looked at the picture and then looked back up at Sehun.

"That's your cousin?"

"Yes, and it looks like you recognize him."

The next half an hour was filled with paperwork verifying Chanyeol and Sehun's fake identities, and Sehun was at his wit's end. The hospital refused to give him any information about Chanyeol until the paperwork came back verified, but he needed to see Chanyeol with his own eyes... Whether he was dead or alive, Sehun had to be the one to check.

"Will you sit the fuck down? You're drawing attention."

Sehun stops pacing for a total of 20 seconds before he continues where he left off. Before Kyungsoo can say anything else, the nurse comes over to them.

"Your cousin is resting, but you can go in and see him. Just try to be quiet and don't wake him."

Sehun almost felt his legs give out underneath him, but the possibility of seeing Chanyeol kept him from busting his ass on the hospital floor.

"He's alive? How is he?" He quickly asks, relief evident in his voice.

"He's stable for now, but it was touch and go for a while."

She leads them to the room, and anything she says after that goes completely unnoticed by Sehun. His eyes and thoughts were glued on his cousin. His heart sunk as he took in Chanyeol's near gray appearance and the stillness of his body.

Sehun slowly made it up by his head, while Kyungsoo went to the other side. The room was silent, except for the steady beeping of the machines and the click of the door as the nurse left.

As soon as the door shuts, Chanyeol slowly opens his eyes, meeting Sehun's surprised stare.

Kyungsoo leans forward and whispers, "How are you even awake right now?! You're supposed to be out."

Chanyeol moves his mouth to say something, but he can hardly get it out, so Sehun leans forward, putting his ear near his mouth. Chanyeol tries again and this time manages to get it out.

"Baem."

Sehun leans back, meeting Kyungsoo's eyes.

"Time to tell Suho..."

"Tell him that the girl who is, possibly, his long lost sister was kidnapped by our enemies? Great."


	16. Part 16

Suho's POV

"How long are you going to sit there?" A voice interrupts Suho's concentration on the front door. He had been sitting on the stairs, watching the door and waiting for you to come back for what felt like hours. He had so many questions to ask you, and he needed answers. Now.

Suho answered Minseok without looking away from the wooden door. "Until they come back."

Minseok sighed and dropped down onto the stairway next to him. "Want to tell me what you're thinking right now?"

Suho shakes his head before answering. "I wouldn't even know where to begin to answer that."

"We need to - "

The front door opens, causing Minseok to abruptly stop. Both men quickly jump to their feet and approach the door, but only one person enters the house.

"Where is she? Where are they?" Suho quickly asks, looking past the shorter man.

Kyungsoo found his eyes and met his stare head-on causing Suho's heart to drop into his stomach.

"The Baem have her."

Suho felt his entire world tilt on its axis. He could feel his mind leaving his body and floating away, but all he could do was stand there and stare at Kyungsoo. No words were coming to his mouth, and his thoughts were running through his mind so fast, he couldn't even comprehend half of them.

"How do you know?" He heard Minseok ask, as Suho felt a weird feeling wash over him.

"We found Chanyeol nearly dead in the hospital."

Without warning, Suho picked up the small table by the front door and threw it at the opposite wall. He watched the leg break off, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to destroy everything, and he was no longer in control of his actions. It was like his body wasn't even his anymore. He looked up at a piece of artwork on the wall and ripped it down, slamming it against the floor.

Somewhere in the hallway, he hears someone say, "That was worth at least $15,000", but he couldn't stop himself. He continued to break everything he could get his hands on until finally, arms grabbed him from all sides.

"Are you done yet? We need to figure out what happened, and we're not going to get answers if you keep destroying the house." Minseok tells him.

Suho tries to calm his breathing and blinks his eyes to clear the haze he had been seeing. Once his vision cleared, he saw Yixing slowly walking toward him with a first aid kit. Confused, Suho looks around to see who was injured, and when he saw that everyone else was fine, he looked down to see his hands covered in blood.

"Is someone going to explain why he just ruined a shit ton of valuable objects?"

"Meeting room. Now." Minseok demands indirectly answering Jongin's question.

Suho silently watched as Minseok herded the men down the hallway. He allowed Yixing to quickly clean up his hands as he tried to regain control of his thoughts, and then the two walked over to the meeting room.

The men had waited for him to come into the room, but Suho was in no shape to ask a bunch of questions, so Minseok quickly took charge.

"What the hell happened?"

Kyungsoo sighs and drops down into one of the leather chairs, running his hands through his hair in a frustrating gesture. "The Baem have Y/N."

A couple of the men shouted things and quickly began asking questions, but Kyungsoo ignores them and continues.

"When Sehun and I got into town, we split up, and I went to Chanyeol's car. I found his car keys on the ground and blood smeared on the window. When I went to find Sehun, he was staring at this... massive bloodstain on the sidewalk by the parking lot. He had gotten wind that a man had been shot there earlier in the day, so we went to the hospital to check it out. We were able to find Chanyeol, and he confirmed that the Baem took her."

"How is Chanyeol?" Baekhyun asks.

Kyungsoo stares down at the table for a moment before looking up at Baekhyun and saying, "It's not good. They said they lost him but were able to revive him. He was shot a couple of times."

The men grew restless, all shifting in their seats, and Baekhyun looked down at the table, blinking. None of them liked it when another was injured, but having someone be so close to death put all of them on edge. They needed to act. They needed retaliation.

"Sehun's staying with him until we come up with a plan, but Chanyeol's not going to be able to come home for a while."

"So, what's the plan then?" Jongdae asks, turning to Suho.

Everyone else follows Jongdae's gaze and turn to their leader, who meets them all with a measured stare.

"We go and get her back, and we obliterate the Baem once and for all."

Y/N POV

A hard slap resounds around the room as your head whips to the side. You didn't even have any tears left to cry out. You were exhausted and in an insane amount of pain, so you just accepted it at this point.

The beating had been going on for hours. At first, you played it off, pretending they weren't hurting you. Taunting them. Acting as tough as you could, but a person could only take so many belts and fists to the face and body.

After a couple of hours, the tears began to silently fall, no matter how angry you got at yourself for crying and how much you tried to hold them back.

You never pleaded or begged for them to stop, and you did your best to channel your mother's actions on her last night. You refused to give them the satisfaction of your pleas, and it drove them absolutely fucking crazy.

However, now the tears were gone, and you were back to pure anger.

"It really is a shame we have to mess up this pretty, little face... Maybe we can have fun in a different kind of way..."

The man's eyes trailed down your body, letting his intentions be known and making you absolutely sick to your stomach.

You pull at the ropes that firmly held your body to the chair and find they're still as tight as the last time you attempted to pull at them, so you glare up at him, not saying anything. If he even attempted to do anything sexual to you, you were going to bash his fucking brains in.

"It's my turn now." His partner says, pulling out his pocket knife as he walks past his friend.

When they weren't hitting you, they liked to make little cuts all over your body. Not deep enough to do serious damage, but enough to hurt and mark your skin.

Before he could reach you and make his first cut, the door swings open, revealing one of the leaders, as you found out.

"Oh, sweet Y/N. How are you doing today?"

"Go fuck yourself." 

He sighs and says, "I'm beginning to wonder if that's your only comeback."

You give him a tight-lipped smile and reply, "Nope, just my favorite, but there's plenty more where that came from."

"I'm sure I'll learn them over time."

Now it was your turn to sigh and ask him the one question you've continuously asked him but have yet to get a real answer for. "What the fuck do you want with me?"

He surprises you when he smiles and shakes his head. "I can't believe you still haven't figured it out. To be honest, I'm kind of unimpressed."

"I'm heartbroken. Truly."

"The reason you're here is because it's time we finished destroying your family."

Your heart stutters, and your eyebrows furrow in confusion. Was he... admitting that he killed your family?

A smile grows on his face at your reaction. "I'm one of the men who murdered your parents. Actually, I'm hurt that you don't recognize me."

Suddenly, you felt the need to gasp for air. This man... he was one of the men in your room that night... He murdered your parents...

The men were laughing at your wide eyes and gaped mouth, but it was like you had jammed cotton into your ears. It was distant, far away.

Immediately, you were thrown back into the past, and you were back in your closet, watching your parents be tortured and killed.

Now that you've seen his face again, you can quickly place him as the man who ended your mother's life. The sick smile that had twisted on his face as the life left her eyes was forever etched into your memory.

You hear his laughter and are slammed back into the present with a hatred you didn't know was possible to feel. You wanted to rip this man apart with your bare hands, and that was exactly what you were going to do, even if it was the last thing you ever did.

"The way she held her tongue and refused to give us what we wanted... Mmm delicious, and your father! His pleading for us not to hurt his precious, little girl!"

His words pulled you down into a memory you had buried so deep, it was blocked from your mind. A memory of what they did to you after they had discovered you. Their hands all over your body until your father's men finally stopped them...

You angrily stare up at him, your cheeks flushing with rage. You were torn between wanting to stab every single one of them in the face and crumpling up in a ball and crying.

"Now all we have to do is finish off the family line." He says, smiling down at you.

"If that's the case, why haven't you just killed me? I'm the only one left."

The man in front of you lets out another laugh that a few of the other men join in on. The confusion must be clear on your face because the leader leans down toward you, putting his hands on the back of your chair for support.

"But darling, you're not the only one left. The heir to the throne is still alive and kicking, and the best part is, you've been living with him the whole time!"

Your breath catches in your throat. The heir... your brother... Your brother is alive! Your brother... has been alive this whole time...

The wheels turn in your head as you look up at him. You've been living with him?

It was obvious what he was saying, but it couldn't be true... There was only one heir in EXO, and that was...

"That's right." He answers your inner thoughts. Getting really close to your face, he says, "Suho is Kim Junmyeon. Your brother."

"You're lying." You spit at him, causing him to stand up and laugh.

"Oh, honey... I'm not."

How could Suho be..? No. He was not Junmyeon. Your brother would've never left you behind, but then... you remember him saying his sister was dead... If he thought you were dead, he would've given up looking for you...

"Your brother is still alive. He just didn't care enough to look for you." The leader makes a pouty face at you. "Isn't that so sad?"

Though you tried not to let it get to you, his words cut you deep. Thinking it to yourself was one thing, but hearing it said out loud brought on a whole new wave of pain you couldn't prepare yourself for.

The Baem had been watching EXO for years. They would know every move EXO had made. If they had been looking for you or not, and the Baem were the ones who found you, not EXO.

There's no way the Baem would've found you first if EXO had been looking...

"Now, if you could hold that pose for one more second."

You look up in confusion and are suddenly blinded by a bright flash of light. Blinking a few times, you try to look around and figure out what happened, but you couldn't see for a moment.

"Oh that was a good one, but we'll take another one just to be sure..."

As you blinked some more, you saw him walk up to you and then felt his hands pulling at your shirt. He yanked hard enough that you heard a ripping sound and looked down. Your shirt was now torn, exposing your bra and chest and leaving you vulnerable in a room full of sick men. You flinched back as you saw his arm come toward you again, but you could only move so far back while tied to a chair.

Grabbing one of your bra straps, he slowly slides it down your arm, and then, thankfully, he stops and leaves it there.

He steps back and admires his work before another flash goes off, stealing your vision again, and it finally dawns on you that he's taking pictures of you.

"Why are you doing this?!" You finally yell.

"I already told you. I want your family dead. At first, it was for the power, but after Suho had some of our families killed in retaliation, it's now about payback as well." He waves the camera in your face. "As for these? We're going to send them to your brother with a little message. Might even let him believe you're already dead. To think he lost you, just to gain you back and lose you again? It'll kill him... and if that doesn't? I will."


	17. Part 17

Suho's POV

Suho looked over the documents in his hand as his men quietly waited for him. Everything was falling into place beautifully, and he'd have you back at the compound soon.

"All we need now is for Jongdae to tell us where they are. Once we have the location, we move," Suho dropped the papers onto the desk and looked up at his men. "Let's run through everything one more time. We can't afford any screw-ups. Sehun?"

"We've got enough weapons and explosives to demolish three city blocks. When everything starts, team one will set up the explosives, while teams two and three join us in the entrance."

It sounded good in theory, but Suho was worried about one team. "Chanyeol's team knows their positions and roles?"

Sehun nods while he leans back into his chair. "I've debriefed them on everything, and they know to fall under my rank while Chanyeol is unavailable."

"Perfect. Yixing?"

"Medical is fully stocked, and we have plenty of extras in case this goes upside down."

Baekhyun jumped in as soon as Yixing had finished. "Yixing will stay back behind the final team for coverage, and I'll enter with the second to last team and begin triage."

Suho nods, pleased with his men and their thoroughness. He was proud of how far everyone in the group had come since they first joined. He knew they were capable of accomplishing their mission, but Suho was worried about their numbers. They all were in command of their own teams, but he only had a rough estimate of how many Baem members there were, and estimates got you killed in this line of duty, so he had to be prepared.

"Minseok, have you been in touch with our allies?"

"I've reached out to three of them, but only one is available."

He stilled, not liking that answer. "And why is that?"

"The dragons have their own meetings taking place this week, so they're spread out thin, and the WDT has negotiations with the Baem and doesn't want to take sides."

"Well, they just did. Record that, and we'll deal with them after." At Minseok's nod, he continues. "So, who has decided to join us?"

"Bangtan."

The name caused the men to smile, and Suho himself was quite delighted. Bangtan was one of the other top groups in their world. They also have been one of EXO's closest allies for years. Whenever either group needed help, the other always stood by their side, so Suho should've known exactly who it was.

However, Minseok's next words had a smile growing even on Suho's face.

"They're not just sending their men... They're coming themselves."

"Oh, fuck. Yes." Jongin happily says, causing Suho to immediately turn to him and point.

"Do not use this as a time for your and Jimin's competition."

"Once Y/N is safe, we're definitely going to use this for our competition," Jongin tells him, completely ignoring Suho and causing him to sigh.

He knew there was no way around it. Every time Jongin and Jimin got together, they were hellions. Their competition to see who can make more kill shots was well known throughout the mafia world. There would be no stopping them.

"As long as she's safe first."

Jongin salutes him with his fingers. "Aye aye, boss."

At that moment, Jongdae bursts into the room looking winded. At his entrance, all of the men stand up.

"You got the location?" Suho asks him urgently.

Jongdae shakes his head and says, "No, but you all need to come see this."

Without another word, he turns and quickly walks back down the hallway. Suho immediately takes off after him, with the rest of the men following suit.

As they approached the front door, Jongdae pulls out his gun and clicks the safety off, causing the rest of the men to go on high alert. Everyone pulled out their weapons as Jongdae slowly opened the door.

What they saw was a man slowly walking up the driveway.

"Who is that?" Suho quietly asks.

"I couldn't tell from the cameras, but something is wrong. He's walking like a zombie."

The men file out of the house and form a line. With their weapons drawn, they waited for the man to get closer.

As he approached, Suho was able to get a better look at him, and it became clear as day that the man had been beaten to high hell, which is what was causing his zombie-like appearance.

Movement from his right causes Suho to look over. He watches as Sehun suddenly takes a step forward, his eyes widening in recognition.

"That's Minho, one of Chanyeol's men."

A few of the men relax once they realize it's an EXO member, but Suho was still weary as Sehun slowly approached him.

"Jongin, Kyungsoo, go with him."

They follow Sehun as he slowly walks over to the man. He was close enough that Suho could now see blood dripping from his mouth, and he instantly knew this was a dead man.

Almost as if on cue, Minho drops down into the grass face first. Sehun ran the rest of the way, causing the men to swear, and Yixing and Baekhyun immediately stepped forward to go help.

"Not yet."

Suho forced them to stay back. For all they knew, someone could've planted a bomb on him, or this could all be a trap. His eyes scanned the yard and driveway for movement.

Jongdae, who must've been reading his thoughts, says, "They dropped him off down the road. Nobody followed him."

Suho tensely observed his men as they looked Minho over, and once he heard one of them yell "clear", he relaxed. He watched the men as they stopped and stared at the body. Each man's eyes were glued to the same thing, but it was impossible to tell what from their distance. When Jongin slowly knelt down and began pulling at Minho's back, Suho got a very bad feeling.

"What is it?" He calls out.

None of the men answered him, but Kyungsoo did look over at Suho with a hesitant expression on his face, before joining Sehun and Jongin in studying whatever Jongin held in his hand.

The aura of the three men changed from caution to rage within seconds, and Suho's feet were moving before he even knew it.

Once he reached the men, Jongin held out what looked like a picture to him. Reaching for it, he turns the picture over, and his heart stops. It felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to his torso.

It was a picture of you. Your face and body were beaten and bloody. Your shirt was torn down, exposing your chest, and you were all tied up. You looked exhausted, scared, and pissed off, and for the first time, Suho let his heart go out to you.

He not only heard the outrage from his men as they walked up behind him and examined the picture, but he could feel it also. It was like there was a change in the electricity in the air. A deadly storm was coming, and EXO were going to be the harbingers.

"We need to move. Now." Sehun voices what all of the men were thinking.

"This is a taunt for you, Suho. They nailed that picture into Minho's back. They want to get a rise out of you." Kyungsoo tells him.

"Well, they just did." He replies, crumpling up the picture. "Jongdae, go through the satellite feeds and look for recent activity. If you see the leaders together at any of their buildings, flag it. Jongin, call Bangtan and let them know it's on. Also, call WDT and let them know they have one more chance to join us. If they don't, tell them they're next."

He turns toward their home and begins the trek back inside, his men following him in more ways than one.

"Suit up, boys. It's time to go to war."

A half an hour later, the men were strapped up and ready for hell. Jongdae had found the only building of the Baem's where all four of their leaders had spent a suspicious amount of time at, and Suho knew that was where you were being held.

Everyone was divided into teams, and each of their units knew their positions. They were all only waiting for Suho's command.

"Our allies?" He turns to ask Jongin before giving the orders.

"Bangtan is on their way. They know their job is to get Y/N since the Baem won't be expecting them. Our friends in the WDT have reluctantly sent over some of their men, and they're in place waiting."

"Perfect. Let's go skin some snakes."

Y/N's POV

You knew time had passed, but it was impossible to tell how much. In the beginning, you were keeping track of the guard shifts, but after a while, you had given up.

The Baem seemed so sure that EXO would be coming for you, but what if they weren't? It's not like Suho knew you were his sister. The only person that you had told about your brother was Baekhyun. Had he been able to connect the pieces? Or was he too distraught after Chanyeol was...

You shake your head, trying to clear it of thoughts of what were probably Chanyeol's last minutes. He died trying to save you, and it ended up being in vain...

You lean forward and let out a sob, accidentally pulling at your arm that they had broken a couple of days ago, when two voices suddenly catch your attention.

"We shouldn't do this."

"Who's going to stop us..? No one."

You helplessly watch as two of the goons walk in. You had seen them before and recognized the one from the previous times his eyes had crept over your body. The man had always given you bad vibes, and his outer appearance didn't help the situation.

The second man seemed timider and obviously just a follower of the first idiot as he continued to prove by standing over in the corner, instead of coming over by you.

You cautiously watched the gross man as he neared you. His eyes glued to your still exposed chest.

"Besides J, I know she wants this as much as I do." He tells his friend in the corner.

Frozen, you watch as he approaches you, but once his hand goes down to his pants and undoes his zipper, your frozen state disappears.

Ignoring the aches and pains, you begin struggling against your bonds, not caring if you broke your other arm in the process, as long as you were able to free yourself, but you knew you were shit out of luck. Your only hope of defending yourself was to use your teeth and bite the crap out of him if he came near your mouth.

A loud smack to your face stills you for only a moment, but it was long enough for him to grab you by your hair and hold your head still, forcing your eyes to meet his.

"Don't fight it, princess. I hear it hurts more that way."

Before he could do anything else, the three of you hear pounding footsteps coming your way. The man in front of you quickly lets you go and zips himself back up before the door flies open.

"Boss - "

"Shut up. Code black, do you hear me? Code black."

A lot happened after that. The two goons demeanors completely change. and they take off running down the hall, while the leader ran up to you and pulled a knife. Before you could process what was happening, he sliced through your ropes and yanked you up by your broken arm.

It hurt. Badly. It felt like your arm was being pulled out of your socket and sawed-off at the same time, but your body tried to follow your arm. The feeling in your legs was gone, making it almost impossible for you to stand, but you didn't have a choice because the leader was half dragging you down the hallway.

"What's happening?" You ask, but he shuts you down.

"Just shut the fuck up and move."

As you limp to keep up with him, the feeling in your legs returns, and you're able to gain enough stability that you were no longer being dragged behind him.

He pulls you up a flight of stairs into the warehouse above where you were being held, and the sight that greets you was an absolute bloodbath.

Chaos reigned all around you as you tried to take it all in. Bodies littered the floor, while loud gunshots exploded off the walls. There were men... everywhere. Some shooting at each other, others fighting with weapons or hands, and a few trying to pull their injured into hiding spots.

The shock had worn off the second the leader began pushing you toward what you assumed was an exit.

This was it. This was going to be your only opportunity to escape, and you were going to take it.

Immediately, you begin to fight back, shoving at his hands and kicking him wherever you could reach.

Anger flashed in his eyes as he tried to regain control of you, "You little bitch."

You quickly scan the area for a weapon, as you deliver one swift kick to his shin, but only see wooden pallets with boxes on them, nothing you could swing at him.

The leader straightens back up and attempts to reach for you again, but before he can get to you, a fist connects with his face, and he almost loses his balance.

Two men you had never seen before jump on the leader and begin to fight with him.

A hand falls down onto your shoulder, causing you to jump and whip around. You meet the eyes of another unfamiliar man and begin to back away, causing him to raise his hands in the air. His slightly chubby cheeks and full mouth caused him to look way too innocent to be involved in all of this.

"It's okay... I'm here to help you."

"Who are you?" You immediately ask.

"My name is Jimin. I'm a friend of Jongin's. We came to help them."

Your eyes widen, and you turn to frantically search the warehouse for EXO. The closer you look, you begin spotting familiar faces. Off on the other side of the warehouse, you spot Jongin and D.O. fighting back-to-back.

You hear your name shouted from the left and look over to see Sehun knocking someone down about 30 feet from you.

"Go with them!"

A part of you wanted to tell him no, to stay and help them fight, but you knew you would just be a distraction, so you nod at him and turn to Jimin.

Another man had joined him, and he gave you a small smile, causing your eyes to notice a small scar on his cheek and his strong jawline. You watch as he shrugs off his jacket and hands it to you.

"We really need to get you out of here."

Grabbing his jacket, you quickly cover yourself up and allow the two men to gently grab you and guide you through the building. Jimin was, thankfully, very careful with your broken arm as he held onto you.

While they led you toward the exit, other men cleared a path for them, guarding them against both forward and surprise attacks.

The taller one senses your hesitation and leans down to tell you, "They're with us."

You nod and watch as they effortlessly pick men off left and right, showcasing their impressive skills.

Right before you get to the exit, you glance back into the chaos. The guys were still in there. Fighting with the Baem, and that was when it fully hit you. They came for you. They didn't leave you behind. They cared enough to fight this battle for you...

The two men usher you out of the warehouse into the first fresh air you've breathed in... you didn't even know... You had no idea how long you were held captive in that dark room.

Ironically enough, the sun was brightly shining in the sky, causing you to squint. Compared to the darkness in the warehouse and the storm of the battle inside, it was almost too much for you.

At that moment, you noticed the men guiding you toward a black van, and a part of you slows down and lets the panic inside your chest build.

"You're safe, Y/N. We're going to take you back to EXO's safe house." Jimin tries to reassure you, but his words caused you to worry in a different way.

The fact that they were leaving and not going back in to help the boys wasn't sitting right with you.

"What about EXO? Aren't you going to help them?"

"They're going to meet us there. As for the fight, Suho wanted us to focus solely on getting you back."

A tall man tells you as he walks in front of you. Something about his actions made it obvious he was their leader, and if what they were saying was true, you had no choice but to trust them.

Once you reach the van, the men all pile in around you. The second man who helped you, the one who gave you his jacket, helped you again when you were getting into the van.

Curious, you turned to him once he sat down and said, "Thank you..."

"Jungkook."

"Thank you, Jungkook, and Jimin, and ...the rest of you."

Without turning around, someone from the front tells you, "You can save the thanks until after we get you back with EXO."

Nodding to yourself, you stay silent as the van pulls away and heads out to the road. It was quiet, except for their movements. The men, clearly still running on adrenaline, couldn't sit still. Someone was always moving something. A foot, fingers, something.

"So... who are you guys?"

A man from the row in front of you turns toward you with a big, boxy smile.

"Bangtan. Have you heard of us?"

Something in the back of your mind wiggled. There was a familiarity to the name, but you couldn't place why.

"Maybe... it sounds familiar."

"We've been friends with EXO for years. Actually, there was this one time when Jongin and Jimin - "

"Shut up." Jimin interrupts him.

You turn to Jimin, a connection finally being made in your mind. Jongin had told you plenty of stories about him and Jimin and the crazy shit they did.

"You're Jimin!"

He looked over at you in surprise. "You've heard of me?"

"Oh yeah. You and a boy named Taehyung - "

As the name left your mouth, the man with the boxy smile slowly turned around, his face morphing into a clear "uh oh".

"I'm guessing that's you, isn't it?"

He turns back to you again and smiles, "Guilty."

Before you could respond, a loud explosion comes from behind you and rocks the van. Whoever was driving slowed the van as the rest of you quickly turned in your seats to see what happened.

A giant, black cloud of smoke poured into the sky, and you knew right away it was the warehouse. Your heart plummeted into your stomach. Your friends were in there. Your brother was in there. There was no way they could've all gotten out! They were in mid-fight when you left!

Immediately, you start pushing at Jungkook and Jimin trying to get one of them to move so you could get out of the van, but they both quickly grabbed your arms and got you under control.

You felt the van start to move again, and you tried to fight harder.

"What are you doing?! We have to go back!"

"That wasn't the plan we made with Suho." The leader tells you.

You stare up at him in disbelief as all of the men slowly look at the ground or out their windows.

"You have to be joking! Aren't they your friends? How can you just leave them behind?"

You felt wetness spill down your cheeks and knew you were crying, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. You turn towards Jimin and try to get him to look at you.

"Jongin is in there!"

His jaw tenses as he continues to look down at his lap but says nothing.

One of the other men turns back to look at you with a cold stare. "You need to calm down. You think this is easy for us?! We're fighters, and those are our friends, but we don't know what happened. For all we know, EXO was the one who blew the place up. They had other help there beside us, and if it wasn't EXO who did it, then we need to get out of here now. So, I need you to take a deep breath and attempt to calm yourself down."

You try to listen to him and take a breath, but you couldn't stop your mind from wandering. What if they weren't the ones who set off that explosion? What if they didn't make it out?


	18. Part 18

For the rest of the van ride, you attempted to stay calm like one of the men had told you to do, but you still felt a small wave of anger and disbelief simmering under your skin.

You knew Bangtan were doing what they thought was best, what they had promised EXO they would do, but you couldn't stop the panic that washed over you when you thought about the guys. Were they okay? How badly were they hurt? Whose face had you seen for the last time?

You also knew that there was nothing you could say or do that would make them turn back, so you sat there quietly as they bantered back and forth. They kept attempting to distract you by pulling you into their teasing, but you could hardly focus on their conversation.

Until the leader says, "So, you're EXO's princess..."

The side conversations halted as the men looked back at you. They didn't even bother trying to hide their curiosity as they waited for your answer.

"What?" You squeaked out.

"Suho said the Baem were under the impression that you were his sister."

"Yeah..."

You hadn't said it out loud since you were told that Suho was your long-lost brother Junmyeon, so the idea still seemed foreign to you, but you knew, deep down you knew, that the Baem leaders were right. Suho was your brother, and your father had been EXO's previous leader, which basically meant you were EXO's "princess".

Clearing your throat, and with more conviction, you say, "Yes. Suho is my brother."

"I don't know why it's a surprise. You two look exactly fucking alike." The one you learned was named Suga replies, causing Taehyung to turn around and study your face.

"I don't see it."

A couple of the other members join him in looking at you, and you slowly start to slouch into your seat, not loving all of the attention on you.

"How come he doesn't believe you are?" Jungkook asks you, pulling a deep sigh from your body.

"It's, kind of, complicated..."

"We'll keep up," RM assures you, letting you know there was no way they were letting this go.

For the next several minutes, you tell Bangtan about your "tragic" story, and by the time you were done, a few of them were looking at you with wide eyes.

"I've heard about you," Jimin says softly.

"So have I. My parents told me about it before I took over Bangtan..." RM agrees.

You meet their incredulous stares with one of your own. "Are you saying my life is a precautionary tale?"

"Aren't all of ours?" Jungkook smirks at you.

You give him a small smile before noticing that you had turned into the driveway of EXO's compound. You eagerly look around but quickly take note of the lack of vehicles and dark house. Nobody was here.

Not wanting to be stuck in an enclosed space any longer, as soon as the van stopped, you were itching to get out, and you think Jungkook could tell. He quickly got out and turned to help you out of the vehicle. You knew your adrenaline was starting to wane out because your entire body was starting to stiffen from the aches and pains.

Once free from the van, you slowly walk into the lush grass and take a deep breath. EXO's compound was located far out from the city, surrounded by trees and nature, and that had always had a calming effect on you.

While you waited, you sank down to sit in the grass because all your body wanted to do was give up and lie down. You could feel the nervous energy from the men around you, almost like it was brushing up against your skin, and you watched as they anxiously observed their surroundings.

The men were so connected that the second one stopped pacing, another would begin to move around. It was a good distraction for you because if you allowed your mind to go where it wanted to, you'd be thinking about the boys nonstop, and that would get you nowhere. All you could do was wait and hope they were okay.

Movement to your left caught your attention as Jimin slowly sank down next to you. You examined his watchful eyes and felt a small pang of regret for snapping at him in the van. His worry for Jongin was written all over his face.

"I'm sorry for earlier," you quietly tell him.

"Nah, don't apologize. You're loyal to the people you care about, and at the end of the day, that's all any of us can ask for."

Before you can reply, you notice a couple of the men began to straighten as they eyed the driveway, and that was when you heard the sound of tires spitting up gravel. Someone was coming and fast.

Jimin quickly stood up, pulling you up with him before taking a step in front of you. The men all shifted into positions, and that was when you noticed they were blocking you from whoever was coming.

The intensity of the moment stole your breath as you watched the black van speed up the driveway and pull up behind the one Bangtan had driven.

Bangtan was stiff until they could see the driver, and when they did, they all relaxed. Cautiously, you peek around Jimin and almost cry with relief when you see Xiumin behind the wheel.

The relief was short-lived, however, when you saw him throw open his door and run to the back of the van, completely ignoring all of you. He threw open the doors with a determined look on his face, and then Chen popped out.

Your group silently watched as they pulled out a motionless body next. It took you a moment to look past the blood, but when you did, you quickly realized it was D.O..

Breathlessly, you watch Chen cradle D.O. in his arms as Yixing jumps out, as equally covered in blood as D.O.. Once he was standing, he immediately began putting pressure into D.O.'s side, and the two carried an almost lifeless D.O. past you.

You couldn't tear your eyes away as you watched them. You were not even remotely close to D.O. or Chen, but they willingly risked their lives to save you, and that wasn't a small thing. You certainly didn't want any more EXO members to die because of you. One was too much already.

Your eyes also quickly scanned over Yixing, trying to decipher if any of the blood on him was his, but it was impossible to tell. They were all covered in it.

Once the men disappeared into the house, you turned your attention back to Xiumin, who was looking you over.

Once he meets your eyes, he says, "You're okay..."

You give him a small nod, and he nods to himself before RM steps forward and clasps Xiumin on the shoulder.

"What happened?"

Xiumin ran a hand through his hair before saying, "We had to blow it up."

Your knees almost gave out in relief. They were the ones who set off the explosion. You felt yourself lighten a little bit until he says, "The Baem leaders were escaping."

Panic nestled right back home in your stomach, and you gasped out, "Did they?"

He gave a little shrug, clearly not knowing, and you began gnawing on your bottom lip. If they got away, then blowing up the building may have been for nothing. Not to mention what the hell they will do to all of you if they did get away.

Xiumin turns back to the driveway, favoring his left side, but before you could think anything of it, another van pulls up and steals your attention. Xiumin lets out an "it's them" before heading over to the arriving van.

The group watched Jongin climb out of the van, and from the corner of your eye, you see Jimin relax. He looked as messed up as the others but relatively okay.

He opened the side door, and you watched Baekhyun attempt to get out, but he couldn't without Jongin's help. It was clear he couldn't move well on his own, so Jongin threw his arms around him, and the two hobbled toward the house.

You took a couple of steps toward the pair, causing them both to look over at you. The relief that you were okay was evident in both of their eyes. Baekhyun gave you a pained smile in response, which caused you to take another step, but then Jongin caught your attention and nodded his head toward the van.

Turning to look back at the van, you see the driver slowly get out, and all of your attention goes to him.

Suho.

No.

Junmyeon, your brother.

He turns to face you, and your mouth slightly falls open. His face was covered in blood, and he resembled the character, Carrie, from that horror movie he used to make you watch. Searching for the reason, you spot a gash near his hairline that was still bleeding before finding his eyes.

The two of you stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. No other sounds or voices caught either of your attention, and that was when you knew.

He knew you were his sister.

Your feet left the ground on their own accord, and you were running toward him. You couldn't stop yourself, and you didn't want to.

Even when you felt Xiumin attempt to grab you and stop you as you ran past him, you brushed him off and continued forward.

Your body slams into his, causing him to take a couple of steps back to regain his balance, and you throw your arms around him in a tight hug, not caring if you get blood or whatever else all over you.

He stiffens in your hold for a couple of seconds, sending uncertainty through you, but then slowly wraps his arms around you and holds onto you just as tight.

It was like you were thrown back into the past when you were young and used to climb all over him, but the moment was gone way too soon.

You felt him let you go and slowly pull your hands off of him. Hurt sears you as you look up at him in confusion and watch him take a step back. He searches your eyes before saying, "We'll talk later".

You freeze and watch as he walks around you and heads over to Bangtan.

Turning around to look at him, you catch the pity in Xiumin's eyes and the confused looks on some of the Bangtan members.

Your heart felt like it was suddenly three times heavier, but you attempt to push the feeling away and let a mask of indifference slide onto your face.

He had to be a leader to his men right now, but you did know one thing, you would absolutely talk later.

You slowly wander back over to the group, where you hear Suho thanking Bangtan for all of their help when a horrible thought suddenly occurred to you.

Turning back to the driveway, you peer down it. Something wasn't right. Only seven men came back. Someone was missing.

"What're you doing?" Xiumin calls out, shifting all of the attention onto you.

Turning back to the group, you look between him and Suho, searching their expressions. "Where's Sehun?"

Both men stiffen at your question and share a tense look. Suho's face held cautious confusion while Xiumin's eyes widen with realization.

"He didn't come back with you?" Suho asks him.

"No... we thought he was with you..."

Suho shakes his head before quietly saying, "We were the last ones out... Nobody else was alive from what we could tell..."

Your entire body goes cold at what he was implying. If what your brother was saying was true, you wouldn't be able to handle it. First Chanyeol and then Sehun? There was no way you could move on if those two bright souls were extinguished because of you...

Even imagining a world without the cousins caused you too much pain to breathe in properly.

Sehun couldn't be dead. Your brother was wrong. Maybe he had gotten out, and they didn't see him? It was Sehun. He was one of the savviest people you knew.

"No," you finally spit out, breaking the silence, "He's fine. He got out."

You desperately looked between the two EXO leaders, waiting for one of them to confirm that you were right, but they both stayed silent, seeming to be as upset as you were.

Finally, Suho spoke up. "We need to go back and search through the remains better. Maybe we missed him, or maybe he did get out."

Suho voicing your thoughts relieved you because you knew they wouldn't give up on Sehun. They'd find him... one way or the other.

RM steps up to Suho and puts a hand on his shoulder, "We'll take care of it."

Suho studied his face, staying silent while he thought over the offer. Would he trust another group with the task of finding Sehun?

"When we're in... we're in. Let us do this. We'll search the area and the bodies for Sehun. We have the manpower, and our men are in better condition. We'll share every piece of information we come across with you."

Suho slowly agrees with RM and pulls his hand into a handshake. "For all of your help, thank you. I truly couldn't have asked for better allies."

"If the roles were reversed, I know you would do the same."

They share a nod, and then Bangtan begins turning to the van to leave, but you stop them before they get too far.

"Wait," you say, walking over to them. "Thank you for helping me and for helping them."

A couple of the members nod and smile, but to your surprise, Suga, the one who had snapped at you in the van gave you a smile.

"Don't get into any more trouble, alright? At least not anytime soon."

"Or ever," Suho mutters from behind you.

Jimin and Taehyung walk up to you, and each gives you a hug.

Jimin smiles at you when he pulls away. "Make Jongin tell you more stories about me."

"Ooo, ask him about the swing incident," Taehyung adds with a wink.

"Absolutely do not ask him about the swing incident," Suho says from behind you, causing some of the men to laugh.

"Calm down, big brother."

As the pair walk away, Jungkook gives you a pat on the head and smiles before following them.

Suho, Xiumin, and you watch Bangtan get in the van and drive away. As you watch them go, you send your hope with them that they find Sehun and bring him home. Once the van is out of sight, the two EXO leaders turn around, and walk back into the house and you quickly follow behind them.

Your mind raced with thoughts as you walked into the compound. Was Sehun okay? Would D.O. make it? Did the Baem leaders escape? What would happen between you and your brother?

"Fucking hell, that hurts!"

"I see it as payback for every time you've done it to me."

The three of you walk around the corner into the living room to see Jongin shoving Baekhyun's arm back in his socket. A small smile graced Jongin's face as he caused Baekhyun to swear in pain. From the looks of it, it seemed like Jongin was happy the roles were reversed for once.

Suho cleared his throat, catching the pair's attention, and the smile immediately vanished from Jongin's face. The surface areas and floor around them were littered with pieces of gauze, ointments, torn wrappers, and everything else they needed to patch each other up, but it was weird for you to see Baekhyun on the receiving end for once.

"Kyungsoo is in critical condition..."

Kyungsoo... You knew right away that he was talking about D.O., but it was the first time you ever heard someone speak his real name out loud, which told you Jongin was very affected by it.

"When the bombs were set off, some shrapnel embedded itself deep into his side and stomach. Yixing is trying to get it out and stop the internal bleeding, but... it doesn't look good. Jongdae is down there helping him."

Baekhyun, who had sat there quietly on the coffee table while Jongin talked, had his eyes solely on you. You knew he was looking over your injuries because the frustration showed on his face. He tore his gaze from you once Jongin finished updating the leaders and searched Suho's face.

"Where's Sehun?"

Suho raised his head and looked past the men, staring intently at the wall behind them.

"Bangtan is going back to look through the remains."

Those were the only words he spoke, but the boys caught on quick. Baekhyun abruptly stood up from the table he was sitting on and turned toward the wall. His shoulders were rigid, but his body swayed a little from his injuries. Jongin dropped onto the couch, and his head found its way into his hands.

Suho opened his mouth to say something, but then Baekhyun reacted in a way nobody had expected. The table he had been sitting on was suddenly flipped over onto the couch next to Jongin, and his eyes blazed with unshed tears.

"I promised Chanyeol I'd look out for Sehun!"

You moved before you could think better of it and walked toward Baekhyun, but a hand shot out and grabbed your arm, holding you back. Your eyes followed the arm that was attached to the hand until your eyes met Suho's, whose face held an unreadable expression.

"Don't."

Looking back down at his hand, you did something you never thought you'd do to your brother. You pulled away.

Once his hand fell from your arm, you turned back to Baekhyun and closed the distance between the two of you.

He welcomed the arms you threw around him and dropped his head onto your shoulder. His whole body shook, but you couldn't tell if it was from anger, grief, or pain.

"We don't know what his status is yet, so we need to keep it together."

"What about the Baem leaders?" Jongin asks, ignoring what Suho had just said.

"Two of them are dead."

Jongin stares him down, waiting for him to finish, but when it seems like Suho isn't going to, he asks, "What about the other two?"

The silence from Suho caused Baekhyun to still in your arms, and Jongin to use every swear word that he could think of.

After that, your ears filled with static, and your heart began to pound in your chest. There were four Baem leaders, and if only two were dead, then the other two escaped. Two of the people who had kidnapped you, held you hostage, and tortured you were now in the wind and nobody knew how to find them.

Your legs started to give out, but Baekhyun quickly put his arms around you and held you up in a tight grip.

"We will find them, and we will kill them."

You were certain Suho had sworn that before, but it didn't bring you any comfort. They just brought hell down onto the Baem, and two of them still managed to escape.

The door to medical suddenly opened up, and an exhausted-looking Chen stepped out into the hallway. Blood covered nearly every inch of him, from his clothing to his hands and face. An empty-looking expression stared back at the rest of you, causing Suho to call out to him.

Chen blankly looks back at Suho and says, "Kyungsoo is dead."


	19. Part 19

A couple of hours had gone by since Jongdae dropped the bomb on you, and everyone was processing Kyungsoo's death differently.

Yixing refused to leave medical because he felt like a failure, even though he did literally everything he could to try to save him. Jongdae sat on the floor against the wall, staring at nothing with the blankest expression you had ever seen. Jongin was already on his third bottle of hard liquor, and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Baekhyun laid on the floor in front of the fireplace, mumbling to himself about where he had last seen Sehun, but it was Junmyeon that puzzled you the most.

Whenever Xiumin brought something up about Kyungsoo, he would change the topic back to Sehun or the Baem. He was hiding and suppressing any feelings towards his friend's death, but you knew he would crash soon.

You, on the other hand, were freaking the fuck out mentally. Two, possibly three, members of EXO were dead because of you. They had all risked their lives to save yours, and as you looked around the room at the grieving men, the guilt was threatening to drown you. Your life wasn't worth the price of three.

You felt an arm nudge you on your right side, and you looked over at Jongin in confusion. He didn't even bother to look at you. He just pointed over at Suho with his bottle before taking another swig.

You follow the line of his bottle and meet the eyes of the EXO leaders. They both stared at you with worried expressions.

"I've been calling your name for a couple of minutes," Suho tells you, his eyebrows furrowing as he took in your lost look.

He had? You didn't even recall hearing your name spoken.

"Sorry... What's up?"

He hesitates before saying, "I know it's probably not something you want to discuss, but we need to talk about what happened to you."

"Why?" You cautiously ask.

"Because I need to know if you learned anything while they had you... We're going to finish off the Baem for everything they've done and -"

"There's already two of you dead because of me. I don't want there to be anymore."

Suho sighs, shaking his head. "We don't know if Sehun is really dead."

"I'm not talking about Sehun."

Suho and Xiumin give you strange looks, and you check to see that you've gotten the attention of the other three as well. You give them all a weird look back. How could they have forgotten about Chanyeol?

"I'm pretty drunk, but I don't remember anyone else being dead besides Kyungsoo," Jongin slurs, causing Jongdae to snap on him.

"Jongin!" He glares at the younger man, clearly irritated that Jongin had spoken so carelessly about Kyungsoo like that. Jongin rolls his eyes in response and takes another big swig from his bottle.

"I may have been busy being kidnapped, but I do remember Chanyeol being shot multiple times."

"Why is it called 'kidnap' anyway? You're a grown-ass adult."

Rolling your eyes at Jongin's drunkenness, you ignore him and focus back on Suho, who was looking at you with a tentative expression.

"Y/N... Chanyeol is alive..."

"...What?" You ask, holding your breath, in case you had somehow misheard him.

Xiumin softly answers, almost like he's afraid you'll break if he speaks any louder. "He's been in the hospital ever since you were kidnapped, but he's alive."

"But I heard him being shot multiple times!"

"He was hit twice, and they did lose him a couple times, but he's stable now and doing a lot better," Suho explains.

You were at a total and complete loss of words. Chanyeol was alive? He hadn't been killed like you thought? Your brain wasn't sure how to process this information.

"He's really...?"

Once Suho and Xiumin nod, you let the tears free. Chanyeol was alive! You had spent who knows how long (days? weeks?) agonizing over his death while you were in that hellhole, but he was a stubborn fighter, and he pulled through.

A weight of relief lifted off your shoulders that you didn't even know you were carrying. You were so happy about Chanyeol that you had no idea what to do with yourself, but you were about to burst with happiness.

Jongin pats your head from his spot next to you and silently offers you his bottle, which you gratefully accept.

"When is he going to come home? We can't have three unsupervised units." Jongdae asks in a dead voice.

His blunt question dragged your mood right back to the ground. You take another giant swig before putting the bottle back in Jongin's waiting hand.

"What're we going to tell him about Sehun?" Baekhyun finally speaks up.

Suho sighs before saying, "I don't know..."

All heads turn toward him in surprise at his admission of not knowing what to do.

"I didn't even think you knew those words." Jongin mumbles.

"Tell him the truth." You answer, meeting your brothers stare head-on. "It's better than being lied to."

You couldn't stop yourself. Emotions were already running high between Sehun being missing, Kyungsoo's death, and you finding out Chanyeol was alive, that you didn't have the energy to pretend that Suho and you were okay. His jaw clenched at your words, but that was all he offered you.

"I'll call the hospital and tell them to prepare for transport. We'll bring him home tonight. We don't know where the Baem leaders are, and he needs to be with us right now anyway." Xiumin offers.

Suho hums an agreement before saying, "If they give you any issues, just call Sheriff Han."

As Xiumin begins to stand up, your brother looks at you through narrowed eyes and says, "We need to talk."

His words caused everyone to stiffen, and then, like a magnet, their gazes drew back to you. Xiumin slowly sank back down to his seat and sighed.

"Let us have the room," Suho spoke to no one in particular. When nobody moves, he rolls his eyes and, with more authority, says. "Leave. Now."

"That's not going to happen," Baekhyun tells him, sitting up from his position.

Suho looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"We're not going to leave the two of you in here to discuss this alone. Not when it involves all of us. Not when we've lost men over it." Xiumin answers him.

His reminder of their fallen member made you sink into the couch, wishing it would swallow you whole.

"Fine. Suit yourself." He responds, leveling a stare at you.

His gaze didn't hold anything that said he was a brother whose long lost sister was in front of him. No, instead, it held contempt and anger, which downright confused you.

He had the right to be angry, but certainly not at you. It wasn't your fault your parents were killed or that you were told he was killed as well. It also wasn't your fault you had been the target of the Baem.

In fact, if anyone had the right to be pissed off here, it was you, so the anger in his eyes only fueled the burning fire you felt inside.

Both of you were going to snap, and it would be far from pretty.

Neither of you said a word for a solid three minutes, and you could tell every other man in the room wanted this situation over and done with. You didn't know how this was going to go, so you would be damned if you spoke first.

It was with a small sigh of relief that Suho made the first move.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and searched for what he wanted to say. When he finally looked at you, your mouth instantly dried. Why did he suddenly look like the man you had met all those months ago? The cold, cunning leader?

"What's your name? Your real name."

You swallow. It had been over a decade since you spoke your birth name. The words almost sounded foreign in your head.

"Kim Seoyeon."

He closes his eyes, almost as if he was in pain. Everyone in the room watched as a war waged on his face before a cold, empty mask slid over his features.

"Who told you that name?"

Freezing at his tone, you meet his stare head-on, feeling the fire inside burn hotter. "My parents gave me that name when I was born."

"Liar." He spits out.

"I'm not lying. My father was Kim Jungsik. My brother Kim Junmyeon," Your eyes narrowing in anger, you spit back, "That you?"

"Enough!" He yells, jumping up from the couch. Xiumin jumps up right after him, quickly taking hold of his arm.

"Stop with your lies! I don't know who told you those names or what you get out of pretending to be her, but you're not her! She's dead!"

"I'm not pretending to be anybody!" You shout right back. You would be damned if you let anyone speak to you like that.

It was like your words were falling on deaf ears. Suho refused to believe what you were saying because he didn't want to believe it was true. That would mean he had eventually turned his back on his baby sister, and that alone would kill him.

All you could do was sadly watch as Xiumin and Jongin tried to calm him down. You glance down at Jongdae, who watched with dead eyes, and then over at Baekhyun, who had moved to stand next to you in a show of support. You weren't sure if the soft touch of his hand on your arm was to comfort you or to be able to pull you out of the way in case Suho came at you, but you appreciated the touch nonetheless.

"Calm the fuck down!" Xiumin shouts at him while slamming his fist in Suho's chest. "Breath."

"Can you prove it?" Jongdae asks with a shrug.

His words caught everyone's attention and even managed to work their way through the haze in Suho's mind. The leader calmed down, considering, and then looks at you through a glare.

"Do it. Prove you are who you claim to be."

Searching through your mind, you run through the ways of possibly proving to him who you are. Memories, stories, whatever, those could all be faked. You needed something real, something concrete. Then an idea popped into your head, and you knew this would be the only real way to prove it to him.

A little trinket you had once gotten for your birthday.

"I'll be right back."

You move to run up the stairs, but Suho immediately blocks your path.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Fed up and irritated with his attitude and the situation, you bite out. "Do you want me to prove it to you or not?"

He searches your eyes and then steps over to let you pass, but before you can even move a foot, he grabs you by your arm to stop you.

"I'll kill you if you're lying."

That was when your last bit of patience snapped.

"I'd like to see you fucking try."

You hear Jongin make an "ooo" sound from behind you, but you ignore it and rip your arm from Suho's grip. You fly up the staircase, almost faster than your feet can carry you, and quickly run to your room. As soon as you enter it, you make a beeline for your pillowcase and dig into it, hoping your necklace was still there and not removed while you were ...gone.

The necklace would prove to him that you were telling the truth. He had it specially made for you, and you had never taken it off longer than necessary.

Your heart soars when you feel the cold metal against your skin, and your fingers immediately latch onto it.

When you pulled it out, you almost kissed it but refrained from the dramatics and gripped it tightly in your hand while dropping the pillowcase and running back for the stairs.

Once you return to the living room, you see that everyone is in the same place as you left them, and a new face had joined them.

"Yixing..."

He turns to you with a heartbroken face and tries to give you a smile before looking back down at the floor. The entire thing almost killed you right on the spot. He looked like a wounded puppy that had just lost its family.

You temporarily shelve those thoughts and look at your brother, who was watching you like a hawk. Taking a deep breath, you walk over and stand in front of him. You slowly raise your hand and uncurl your fingers, revealing the silver K.

The shock on his face was evident like he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. You could see his mind turning, running through all of the possibilities before it settles on a thought.

You knew right away it was the wrong one.

Rage overtook his features, and he ripped the necklace from your grasp, breaking the chain that was caught around your fingers.

It was like the world suddenly went into slow motion. The men around you quickly jumped up, rushing over to control Suho, even lifeless Jongdae, and broken Yixing. You could hear Suho yelling things, but it was all muffled to you.

The only thing you could focus on was your necklace hanging limply from his hand.

A wave of emotion overcame you as you stared at the last piece of your old life, which was now broken and forever changed. The last connection you had to your caring and innocent brother, who was now gone.

A cold you had never felt before settled into your bones, and the world came back to focus with a snap. You watched as Suho screamed at you, asking where you got the necklace from, but it didn't register in your mind.

Silently, you stepped in front of him and slapped him across the face as hard as you could. Everyone fell silent, even Suho, as shock crossed all of their features.

Meeting his stare, you rip the necklace back out of his hands and grip it so tightly you could feel the K cutting into your hand.

Nobody said a word as they watched what you would do next.

"This necklace was given to me on my 13th birthday by my brother Junmyeon. He gave it to me before we went ice skating like we did every year... and I could kill you for breaking it."

You watched as Suho processed your words, and you knew the moment he finally accepted what you were saying was the truth.

He slowly sank to his knees, never once breaking eye contact with you, as tears filled his eyes. He let them freely fall down his face as a loud sob tore from his body.

"It's really you..."

You nod and silently watch as the man before you transformed from calculated Suho to your brother Junmyeon.

"Seoyeon..."

"I don't go by that name anymore... but yeah... it's me..."

He looks at you, not even attempting to hide the tears that traveled down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry... I'm so so sorry..."

He sank the rest of the way to the floor, and that was when your resolve slowly crumbled. You walked over to him and sank down on the floor next to him, unnoticed tears silently trailing down your own cheeks.

Your brother continued to apologize over and over, never once breaking the rhythm of his words, and once you put your arms around him, he truly broke.  
He clung to you like a life preserver, and you tightened your hold on him to keep him afloat.

Sniffles could be heard from the men around you, but when you looked up at them, they all tried to hide it. They would turn their backs or suddenly find interest in the curtains or ceiling.

You almost could've laughed at the situation. A room full of killers trying to pretend they weren't crying. It was funny, except that wasn't the strongest emotion you were feeling. Happiness? Yes. Relief? Absolutely. However, the strongest emotion you felt was anger.

You were pissed, but you would attempt to hold it in for now.

"You know..." Jongdae begins, "We searched the families of every single group... besides our own."

Nobody responds as they wait for their leader to calm down, which gives you the time to think about everything you want to say. Once you feel Junmyeon calm down, you drop your arms to your sides and scoot across from him. He eyes you curiously as he wipes the remaining tears from his face.

You bite your lip, not wanting to break the mood but needing to say something.

"How could you..? How could you just leave me behind and never find me again?"

"Seoyeon - "

"Y/N. I told you I don't go by that name anymore."

"Y/N, I thought you were dead. At first... I did look for you. I didn't want to believe what they were telling me, but there's only so much a 16-year-old can do. Once I took over EXO, I had some men search for you, but we always ended up at the same conclusion. You have to know that if I thought you were still out there or knew you were still alive, nothing in this world would've stopped me from bringing you home."

He scoots across the floor until he's in front of you and grabs your hands.

"Did I just see our leader scoot his ass across the floor, or am I really drunk?" Jongin breaks the moment, and no matter how hard they tried to fight it, smiles appeared on the member's faces.

"Bite me." Your brother says, rolling his eyes.

"Ewe. Why would you even suggest that?"

Your brother ignores Jongin and turns back to you. "You believe me, right?"  
Most of you did believe him, so you nod, but something was bugging you. "Who told you I was dead?"

His face hardens at your question. "Father's men. The Elders."

Shaking your head, you say, "They were the ones who found me and took me to the hospital."

Any smile on a member's face was wiped off after that, and your brother's grip on your hand tightened painfully.

"What?"

"Hosung was there when everything happened, and then he and a couple of other men took me to the hospital. They told me that I needed to go into hiding in case the other group came back to finish off our family. They told me I was the only survivor and that you were..."

"I was what?" He quietly asks you.

"You were killed on the way home... They gave me a different name and put me into foster care after I was discharged from the hospital."

Junmyeon stood up, his eyes locking on Xiumin's. The heat was evident in their gaze, and even Jongin seemed to instantly sober up.

"It was the Elders the whole time." He angrily spits out, no longer slurring his words.

Xiumin nods in agreement. "We need to call a meeting with them. Now."

"Why would they do this to us?" You quietly ask.

"Power? Revenge? Take your pick."

You look at your brother to gauge his reaction, but you're caught off guard when you see a lost expression on his face. He looks up and meets your eyes, and all you can see is sadness in them.

"Y/N... I need to know the truth... I need to know what happened that night..."

"I can't, Myeon..." You sadly tell him, his nickname falling easily from your lips. "I... It..." You break off and look down, not believing you were strong enough to tell your brother what had happened the last night your parents were alive.

"I know it hurts... but I need to know what the Elders lied about..." His voice cracks, momentarily stopping him. "I need to know for me... This has haunted me for years... Please..."

You knew he was right, and you knew it wasn't fair to keep it from him, but it fucking hurt. It hurt to remember that night and the years after that. It hurt to relive those last moments with them.

You tear your eyes away from your brother, and they land on the only other person you've told everything to. Baekhyun.

He was watching you quietly, but when he catches your gaze, he gives you a small, sad smile.

Surprising you, he slowly stands up and walks over to your spot on the floor. When he slides down next to you and takes your hand, you quickly look over at your brother, whose eyes were glued to the action.

Once he finally tore his eyes from your entwined hands, he looks up at Baekhyun with a cold expression. His look was obvious. It was the classic, "what the hell do you think you're doing with my sister", but with a mafia leader/murderer twist.

Baekhyun shrugs his shoulder at him, letting him know he didn't care what his leader did, and then squeezed your hand.

The entire exchange warmed and comforted you at the same time. You would never be able to tell him how grateful you were to him at that moment.

Taking a deep breath, you tell your brother what happened to your parents that night, and when he asks for the gruesome, gory details, you give them to him, feeling more and more dead as you speak.

When you share with them what was done to you, you feel the last bit of life leave you.

It finally felt like the ending to a decade and a half long story. You could finally close that book and burn it to ash. You would never have to retell it again.

"I'm just so incredibly thankful that you weren't home that night. That you didn't have to see, hear, or endure any of that..." You finish up before tilting your head and asking, "How did you end up finding out anyway?"

"Father's men came and got me from Minseok's house."

"Minseok... your best friend... Whatever happened to him?"

Junmyeon cracks a smile and glances over at Xiumin, who was shaking his head at you. When you hear Jongin laugh, it clicks.

"Oh my god! It's you!"

Minseok smiles at you, and tears immediately spring to your eyes, causing a slight alarm to enter his.

"You stayed with him this whole time... Thank you..."

You jump up and throw your arms around him, squeezing him enough to make him laugh.

"Somone had to keep him out of trouble." He smiles, patting your back.

As you pull away, a memory pops into your mind from when you were little, and your father had brought you to hang out at the old compound while he did work. You remembered a quiet little boy that used to hang around your brother and Minseok, and curiosity got the best of you.

"There used to be this little boy who stayed at the compound when we were younger... Do you know what happened to him?"

You had a feeling that you knew exactly who it was, and he was sitting not even ten feet away from you.

"I'm honestly offended right now."

A smile grows on your face as you look over at Jongin. The abused boy who had to grow up and kill his stepfather.

"How did you go from such a sweet, shy boy to this - "

"Sexy, dangerous, man-slut?"

A laugh escapes from your mouth without your permission. "Well, those wouldn't be the words that I use..."

As he walks over and pulls you into a tight hug, he says, "I'm almost surprised you remember me. You didn't come here often."

"I remember you following them around like a little puppy dog."

He drops his arms and shakes his head. "Wow, and to think I actually missed you."

"This is touching and all, but what are we going to do about the Elders?"

Jongdae's words settled on everyone like a dark cloud, killing everyone's mood.

"Murder their families in front of them and then kill them? An eye for an eye." Your brother says with the most serious look you had seen on his face.

"Most likely, but we need to know who all was involved and everything they've done first." Minseok reminds him.

Baekhyun steps forward with a thoughtful look on his face. "When Y/N was telling me about that night, she mentioned she had a feeling the man with Hosung was an Elder too, and if you remember their reactions when they saw her, three of them recognized her."

"Hosung, Janghoon, and Minseok's father. They wanted us to get rid of her."

Jongin's words remind you of that night from months ago. Back then, you were worried EXO would follow through with their Elders orders, and now, here you were plotting against them together.

"They obviously knew exactly who she was, which means they've been keeping track of her. Do you think one of them is our leak?" Jongdae asks.

From the look on his face, it was very clear that your brother was not a fan of the fact that the Elders knew where you had been this whole time or the fact that they knew you were alive in the first place.

"If the three of them are involved, who's to say there's not more of them?"

"What? Like all of the Elders are involved or something?" You said it as more of a joke to break up the tension Baekhyun's words had caused, but the way everyone considered what you said scared you.

"You don't really think all of the Elders are involved, do you?"

"At this point? Who the fuck knows..." Your brother says with a sigh before an evil look crossed his features. "I do know one thing, though... This ends tonight."


	20. Part 20

There was no plan, and maybe that was what made you anxious... Or maybe, it was the fury in their eyes and stances that made you worry about the outcome of the next hour. Either way, a deep pit of anxiety was swirling in your stomach.

Your brother forced you to remember exit strategies and drilled into you to not get involved if all hell broke loose, but you weren't his little kid sister anymore, and if you could help, you would.

When EXO felt they were prepared, they called in the Elders for an emergency meeting, and the plan was set in motion.

According to your brother, your job was to just sit there and listen to whatever stories the Elders spun. If they lied, Junmyeon wanted you to call them out, which you took no issue with. You were more than ready to see the traitors pay.

One by one, the Elders arrived. Some eyeing you curiously, others with disdain. You could only laugh because the ones who could possibly be guilty were easily making themselves obvious.

EXO had decided that the best place for the meeting would be the boardroom, as it was the only room big enough to hold all of the "important" current and past members. For some reason, it never dawned on you how many Elders there would be, but there were about 20 of them here.

Junmyeon was sitting in the head spot, with Minseok to his left and you to his right, much to the Elder's surprise. The rest of EXO sat on both sides of you and Minseok, and it made you feel safer to sit between your brother and Baekhyun.

Most of them greeted the boys warmly and filled the spaces in the empty seats around the room, but there were a few who were very vocal about your presence, and you weren't even surprised at who it was. Hosung looked like he was about to be sick while Janghoon and Minseok's father, Minwoo, quickly raised their voices and tried to assert control over the situation.

"Why in the fuck is that whore seated at the table?" Minwoo bit out.

You heard murmurs from some of the Elders at the sudden outburst, but Junmyeon remained calm, and with a steady voice, he gestures at an open chair and says, "Have a seat".

"I absolutely will not. Not while you tarnish the reputation of this organization."

"Is that what I'm doing?" Your brother asks with a quirked brow.

You were amazed at his facade and quickly tried to make sure you held yourself to the same standard.

"I knew you weren't ready to take over EXO. You're still just a child."

"Please sit down. You're embarrassing yourself."

A dark look crosses Minwoo's features before he turns to address the rest of the Elders.

"Gentlemen, I do believe we've made a grave mistake by letting this little boy take over our proud legacy. He's allowed this little girl to come in and poison his mind. They all have. I say we put forward a vote to immediately remove Suho from his position as leader of EXO and allow the Elders to appoint someone else for now."

"Someone like you?" Junmyeon stands up and interrupts his tirade. "A traitor to not only my father but to EXO?"

A ripple of shock ran through the Elders as they attempted to process what was going on. Minwoo opened his mouth to say something, but Junmyeon immediately stopped him.

"Shut the fuck up and take a seat." He growls before turning to address the Elders. "I think it's time for the truth to finally come out. We know most of the facts, and now it's time for those amongst you who are traitors to answer for your crimes."

An older man, easily in his late 60's, slowly stood up. "Suho, what is all of this?"

"For those of you who have been in the dark, I would like to inform you that we've been betrayed by men we thought we could trust. Multiple Elders have been leaking information to the Baem for years."

Outrage overtook the Elders as shouts of disbelief filled the room. Junmyeon let it go for a moment before shouting "enough!" with so much force that even you shrunk in your seat.

"Not only that, but they've betrayed the Kim family personally."

"Those are some pretty heavy accusations, Suho. Do you have any proof?" The older man asks.

"Of course I do. I never speak on something unless I have tangible proof." He turns and looks at you. "In fact, I have living proof."

All eyes shift to you, and you slowly sit up in your seat.

"This... is Kim Seoyeon, my sister."

Gasps ran through the room, as well as claims of disbelief, which your brother shut down immediately.

"Not only is she my sister, but she is Kim Jung Sik's only daughter, and no, she is not dead like some of us were made to believe."

The room broke out into full-blown chaos at his words, and you could hear shouts of "how do you know it's the truth" and "she's lying", which caused your brother to sigh.

"I have physical proof that she's my sister, as well as DNA currently being sampled so nobody can deny it. Not to mention the Baem kidnapped her because they knew who she was... Also, let's not miss how Hosung looks like he's about to die in his spot and how much Minwoo is suddenly protesting my leadership."

As the Elders listened to Junmyeon, most of them quieted down, a couple even shooting suspicious looks at other Elders. Your brother continued on while he knew he had their attention.

"Speaking of Hosung, why don't you stand up and tell us why you were there the night of our parent's murder."

Janghoon sputters and then finally finds his voice. "He wasn't there that night. He was with me."

"Oh? So you were there that night also, good to know." Your brother says, catching him in his lie or possibly proving that he had actually been there that night.

"You're a liar." You calmly speak for the first time.

"You don't get to speak to me, you filthy trash." Janghoon spits at you, his face turning beet red with anger.

"I'd rather not waste my breath on your either, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a liar and that he was there that night." You reply before meeting Hosung's scared gaze. "Standing to the side while the Baem came and stabbed my mother to death before bludgeoning my father."

Some of the Elder's eyes widened as you spoke. Probably because 1) you dared to speak and 2) you knew the details of their deaths, something only someone who was there or on the inside should know.

Hosung met your eyes, and you could see the guilt creeping into his expression. You took in his ghostly pallor and were surprised that he was still sitting upright.

"Why? Why did you just stand there and not do anything until it was too late?"

"I'm sorry..." He says while his eyes frantically bounce between you and your brother.

His words were the admission you needed, and once they echoed in the air, many of the Elders looked shocked. Someone in the back even said Hosung's name with sadness, but you ignored it and pushed it away.

"Why?" Your brother asks.

"Originally, your father asked me to infiltrate the Baem, so we could take them down from the inside... While I was pretending to work for them - "

Hosung was interrupted by Minwoo pulling a gun from his waistband and aiming it at him. Many men stood up and pulled out their weapons after that, including all of EXO and some Elders, either pointing it at Minwoo or Hosung.

"Put it down, Minwoo." Junmyeon calmly says while leveling his own gun at him.

"No. He needs to be taken care of now. He's a traitor."

"You only want him gone because you know what he's about to say... I'll give everyone five seconds to put their weapons down."

It wasn't even a second later when a bang echoed around the room. You jumped, startled by the sound and not knowing where the shot came from. Quickly, you searched for an injured person and noticed Minwoo on the floor, yelling.

Janghoon looks exasperatedly at your brother and says, "You didn't even give him the chance to move."

Your brother scoffs. "Please, he's shot in the leg. He's fine."

You look over at Minwoo's leg and see blood steadily trickling out of his thigh. Your brother said he'd be fine... but you weren't too sure.

A lot of the Elders sat back down, resheathing their weapons, some looked at your brother with respect, some with anger, but he wasn't phased. The EXO boys also slowly lowered their guns and sat back down.

"Now, as you were saying, Hosung?" Junmyeon continued like nothing happened.

You discreetly look over at Minseok, whose father was just shot by his best friend, but his face was a perfectly composed mask, letting nothing through. Hosung's words dragged you back.

"Minwoo and Janghoon approached me, and we made a deal. If I gave the Baem information on your parents and helped the Baem execute them, they would help me with my son's medical bills, so I told them your parent's schedules and locations..."

Disgust was apparent on many of the men's faces, but unfortunately, a part of his story tugged at you.

"Anything else?" Your brother asks.

Hosung looks at you with a hint of remorse. "I'm sorry for letting it go as far as it did..."

"What were your son's bills for?"

You heard your brother say your name, but you ignored him. You needed to hear the reasoning behind his treachery. Maybe it would give you a little peace of mind.

"He had leukemia... He passed away a few years later."

As much as you hated it, a tiny part of you was satisfied with Hosung's answer. A very small part of you understood. What would you have done in his shoes?

Your brother catches your attention and asks you if there was anything else you wanted to ask him. You run through your mind every thought you had about that night and after, but Hosung had given you the one thing you needed from him.

"No."

Junmyeon nods before taking a breath and turning back to Hosung.

"At least now you can be reacquainted with your son."

Another bang echoed through the air, and you flinched. A part of you couldn't believe what you were seeing, but the rest of you was numb to it. Hosung was slumped back in his chair with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead. The men around him each splattered with red, but nobody said a word because there were still more Elders to deal with.

Your brother moved on like it was nothing, as did the rest of the men, and you supposed to them it was. You look down at Minwoo, who laid panting on the floor. His leg was sitting in a growing pool of his own blood, and you can see the resignation on his face. He knew he wasn't walking out of this alive.

Janghoon quietly stood off to the side, almost like he could make an escape for the door, but you weren't worried he would because the men around him watched him with hawk eyes. Hosung's admission and ties with them were almost enough to seal his fate.

"So, which one of you would like to fill in the blanks?"

When no one answers, your brother continues. "I suggest one of you speak before Minwoo bleeds to death on my floor."

Minwoo lets out a humorless laugh. "I highly doubt I'm leaving this floor alive."  
Junmyeon points his gun at Janghoon. "Do you want to join him down there, or are you going to be smart?"

Silence meets him, and he shrugs his shoulders. "I guess that's my answer. Just know, once I'm through with the two of you, I think I'll pay a little visit to your families. Give them the same treatment you gave mine."

His words had both men widening their eyes and showing fear for the first time.

"Janghoon, your wife is having cocktails at your club right now, isn't she? That's where she was before we all entered this room anyway, and Minwoo, I know your sister still works at the pharmacy down by the police station. One of our men just watched her close it for the night an hour ago."

Again, you look over at Minseok after your brother threatened to kill his aunt and were able to catch him take a deep breath to compose himself. You weren't the only one, either. Each member of EXO had their subtle ways of checking Minseok's reactions. A quick sideways glance, a repositioning of a head. All of you were worried about him and you all wondered what was going through his mind as he watched his best friend do all this to his father.

Either way, Junmyeon's words had their desired effect because each man paled.

"We wanted to take control away from your family. Your father didn't deserve to be in charge, and neither do you." Janghoon grits out.

You scanned the faces of the other Elders, and you could see disgust and shock on many of their faces. It comforted you to know that not all of them, not even most of them, were involved, which was something you knew EXO had considered.

"And why didn't my father deserve to be in charge?"

"Because he was too soft, just like you. Allowing a girl to influence you like she has is disgusting." Janghoon spits out while looking at you.

Your brother hums, before asking, "Speaking of her, why did you fake her death? I know you were the ones who took her to the hospital and then changed her identity. Why?"

Minwoo took back the reins and answers him. "Because there is no place for women in this world except as whores, and there especially isn't a place for one in the head family."

For some reason, his words pierced your heart. It hurt to think you were thrown away like trash, and you could tell it wasn't just you who felt it. You could see your brother slightly shaking because he had lost the two most important women to him thanks to these fools. You could see Baekhyun clenching his jaw so hard you were sure he'd crack a tooth because he never got to avenge the death of his sister due to this old mindset, and you could see some of the innocent Elders shaking their heads at the old world style thinking.

"So, yes. We left your sister behind, and we made it look like she died, but we did it to benefit EXO."

Minwoo's words caused a couple shouts of disagreement from both EXO and Elders, but your brother remained quiet until he says, "You did it to better yourself, not EXO."

Minwoo shrugs his shoulders with the little effort he had left. By this point, he had lost a lot of blood, more than you had expected, and you figured Junymeon must've knicked something important.

"Why did you continue to work with the Baem?" Minseok asks, finally breaking his silence. Many eyes were trained on him to watch his expressions, including yours.

Janghoon sighs, seemingly giving up. "They found out she was still alive, so they were blackmailing us for information. We knew they would out us as traitors, and we couldn't let that happen, so we've been feeding them little nuggets of information."

The Elders called them "traitors" and "worthless pieces of shits", and you chose this time to ask a question that you had wondered about for a while, and the fact that the men hated you made you all the more happy to speak.

"Who was the other guy there with Hosung the night they killed my parents?"

Minwoo and Janghoon both sneer at you, and you offer up a smile in return.

"His name was Woosung."

As soon as Janghoon spoke the name, multiple members became upset, jumping to their feet and threatening the men. On EXO's side, you saw quiet shock.

You lean over to Baekhyun and ask, "Who is Woosung?"

"He was one of your father's men. Someone he had been mentoring."

You sit back in your own quiet shock. Your father had been betrayed by four of his men, two of them he had been extremely close with, and it blew your mind. Could you trust anyone in this world?

"Let me guess, Woosung didn't really die in a car accident like you reported." Junmyeon speculates.

A smile grew on Janghoon's face before he answers, "No. He didn't."

"He wanted to confess. He felt guilty for the betrayal, and he wasn't the same after your parents were killed. That night messed him up, and he was a liability, so he had to go." Minwoo shrugs.

"How? How could you do this? Wasn't my father one of your closest friends?" You ask him, causing Janghoon to snap at you.

"This is why girls should stay out of this world. They're too soft and emotional."

Your brother scoffs. "I didn't realize loyalty was considered too soft and emotional."

"All's fair in love and war."

"Amazing." Your brother coldly replies before turning to Baekhyun and Jongdae. "Take Janghoon down to the chamber. A quick death is too good for him."

As the men next to you stood up and made their way over to Janghoon, a couple of Elders offer to go down there with them, but Junmyeon immediately stops them.

"As of right now, I don't trust any of you. Words no longer mean anything in this organization, only actions."

The two men who offered to help look at each other before slowly walking to stand in front of your brother. The room eyed them cautiously, but you were surprised when both men kneeled down on the floor with bowed heads.

"I pledge loyalty to you, Suho, and to the EXO organization. I will lay my life on the line for you and will defend you until my last breath. My actions will not stray, and my words will stay true. Until my last moment on this Earth, I will be a true member of EXO."

Once the first man finished, the second man recited the same words, and you knew then, this wasn't just a vow, but an oath of loyalty.

If that action didn't surprise you enough, the next one certainly did.

The rest of the Elders, even the older ones who had a hard time moving, all kneeled down and swore loyalty to your brother and EXO. You didn't know much about their world, but the moment felt powerful, and judging by the reactions of the EXO members, this wasn't something they saw every day.

Once they were finished, Janghoon and Minwoo showed their disgust by calling them pathetic or cowards.

Junmyeon considers the action and the words for a moment before subtly nodding.

"You may escort them down." He tells them before looking over at Baekhyun and Jongdae. "If any mishaps occur, you are ordered to take them out on the spot. No questions asked."

Baekhyun and Jongdae nod, while the Elders all stand up and return to their seats. The two in front of Junmyeon look slightly surprised at his words but then respect quickly grew in its place.

You watched the four men drag Janghoon out of the room, and you knew that would be the last time you saw him alive. A small part of you was worried about Baekhyun and Jongdae, but you knew they could take care of themselves. You just hoped that the Elders accompanying them didn't use that vow as a way to separate the EXO members from each other for some hidden plot.

Then, there was only one left. Minwoo. Minseok's father.

This was the first moment of hesitation you noticed from your brother, and you could tell he didn't know the right move. This was his best friend's father. How could he kill him? Especially right in front of his son.

Unfortunately, if he didn't kill him, he would seem weak and would be proving Minwoo's point.

You glance over at Minseok to check his reaction, and shock slams into you when you see him walking over to Junymeon with a determined look on his face.

Junmyeon looks over at the movement, and you see that he is sharing your shocked feeling.

"What are you doing, Min?" He asks him in a low voice.

"It should be me. You shouldn't have to be the one to do it." He answers while staring at his father.

"It was my family. It makes sense that it's me."

Minseok looks back at Junmyeon. "And unfortunately, he's mine."

A battle of emotions happened on Junmyeon's face, but it was clear Minseok was not going to back down from this. He was going to force himself to kill his own father, and you couldn't even begin to imagine the repercussions that would have.

You stole a look at Jongin and saw him fighting his own demons as his past inevitably played out before him. This was a complete and utter shit show, and no one was walking away from this unscathed.

Minseok took the gun from Junmyeon's hands and slowly faced his father. It felt like the room was frozen in this moment. Nobody moved, and it was like you all collectively held your breath as he raised the gun and pointed it at his father.

He tried to shift off his emotions and appear cold, but you could see the slightest tremble of his lip, and you knew there was no way Minseok would be able to do this.

Apparently, Minwoo caught the same thing as you because he immediately tried to appeal to his son's empathy.

"Minseok, I'm your father... You're not really going to kill your last living relative, are you? I'm the only family you have left. You're my son..."

Anger spread through your veins at the audacity this motherfucker had. "No, you're not. We are his family. Not you. You've never once acted like a father to him, so don't start now."

Your words seemed to reach Minseok because his stance gained confidence and his shoulders straightened. The anger was apparent on Minwoo's face, but he wasn't done trying. In fact, he spun your words to his advantage.

"That's true... I'm sorry, Minseok. I was never able to be a father to you like I should've been... If I could take it all back, I would..."

Minseok searched his father's face, looking for something that you couldn't name. Your heart ached for Minseok. This will surely be one of the most difficult things he faces in his life. You didn't envy him one bit, and you didn't blame him for not being able to kill his father, but you did know one thing.

There was no way Minwoo was leaving this room alive. Neither Junmyeon or you would allow that to happen.

You were pulled from your thoughts when you noticed Jongin moving toward Minseok. When he placed a hand on Minseok's shoulder, he slightly jumped, startled. Minseok looked over at Jongin in confusion.

"Let me do it."

Jongin's words sucked the oxygen right out of the room. Holy. Shit. There was no way... Did Jongin just really offer to kill Minseok's father?

"I can't..."

"Trust me when I say, you don't want this on your conscience, Min. I promise you."

Indecision crosses Minseok's features as he thought about Jongin's words, so the younger man continued to drive home his point.

"Doing this will eat you alive, and as much as you try, you'll never be able to move past it or make sense of it. Believe me... Let me do this for not only you but Junmyeon and Y/N also..."

A part of you couldn't believe what you were witnessing. This moment was going to change absolutely everything. The members, their bond, and EXO as a whole will never be the same after this.

Jongin once had to make the same decision Minseok had to make right now, and he was trying to save Minseok from the pain that came with killing family.  
You wondered if this was what Jongin had gone through all those years ago when he had to make this choice. Was he scared and hesitant like Minseok? Or was he fearless and relieved at the thought of his abuser being gone from this world?

Your brother stood off to the side with a loss for words, but Jongin stood strong and sure, letting Minseok know that he would do this for him and save him from the trauma.

Minseok searched Jongin's face, trying to find out if this was the path that needed to be taken, and he must've decided it was.

With a small nod, he places the gun in Jongin's hand and then walks out of the boardroom without looking back. Everyone stayed silent, except for Minwoo, who screamed after his son for what would be the last time.

Jongin looks down at the gun in his hands, clearly shocked to be in this position again, but determined to do what needed to be done for someone he cared so much about.

He takes a breath and looks up at Junmyeon, who gives him an unsure look.

"Jongin, you don't have to do this."

"I know... but I'm going to." He furrows his eyebrows and looks between you, your brother, and Lay. "If it's not me, it'll be one of you, and I don't want that."

Having made his decision, Jongin faces Minwoo and raises the gun to eye level. He takes a deep breath and, before pulling the trigger, says, "Burn in hell."


	21. Part 21

After the death of Minseok's father, the Elders helped clean up and stuck around to reassure Junmyeon of their loyalty.

Many were surprised and shocked to the core over the betrayal and truths that were revealed, and a small part of you was comforted by it, even though you knew they could be hiding their true feelings.

In the midst of the Elders leaving, Baekhyun and Jongdae came back into the meeting room, both sporting a brand new outfit and blank faces. You were standing right next to your brother when they told him Janghoon had been taken care of.

That was it. It was over.

All of the Elders that plotted against or hurt your family were dead. Your mother and father's deaths were avenged.

You felt your brother pull you toward him by your shoulders, and you willingly went to his embrace. The two of you clung tightly to each other in relief.

"We did it." He says while smoothing your hair back. "We did it for them."

All you could do was nod and stare at the wall behind him because you weren't sure words had found you yet.

When this moment came, you thought you would cry, but you didn't. Maybe you were numb or in some sort of shock, and it just hadn't hit you yet...

You held onto your brother for another minute or so before pulling away and looking at the three EXO members who were patiently waiting for you to collect your thoughts.

You hadn't seen Minseok or Jongin since they both left the room, and you were worried about them. How was Minseok holding up after the death of his father? How was Jongin doing after killing his long time friend's last parent?

You ask Baekhyun and Jongdae if they had seen either man on their way back, and they both shake their heads in confusion. You could see the questions on their faces. Minseok was obvious, but what could be wrong with Jongin?

Yixing quietly informs the men of what had taken place after they left, and each man was as shocked as the rest of you. Actually, you think that's the most amount of emotion you've seen on Jongdae's face since Kyungsoo passed.

"What the actual fuck?" Baekhyun asks, causing your brother to shrug his shoulders.

"It's what he wanted... Jongin was determined to not let anyone else do it."

"We've done some pretty fucked up shit, but this is... wow."

The guys murmur in agreement with Jongdae before Junmyeon announces that he's going to go find Minseok, Yixing mentions something about Jongin, and Jongdae just turns and leaves without a word.

Everything felt different, yet it all felt the same... You were relieved that the Elders were taken care of, but you weren't satisfied. You still felt off. Unfinished.

You wander over to their meeting table and sink into a seat, almost not even realizing that Baekhyun was still there until he pulls out the chair next to you and sits down.

"How're you feeling?"

"I'll get back to you when I figure it out myself."

You didn't even look up at him, but you could almost feel a small nod coming from him.

"It didn't give you the peace you hoped it would, did it?" He quietly asks.

You freeze because that was exactly it. A part of you had hoped that after the Elders were taken care of, you would feel like you got revenge for your parents, but you didn't. Maybe you never would either. Maybe when they were taken from you, they cemented a hole that would always feel empty... Or maybe... maybe once you felt like you finished the job, you would feel more at peace. Maybe once the Baem were wiped out you could move on.

You glance over at Baekhyun and wonder when this man figured out how to read you. How had he learned how you felt before you could put words to it yourself?

As you study him, he looks over at you and offers you a small smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. You remember the words the Elders had thrown around about women and remember his face when his mind most likely flashed back to his sister.

"No... No, it didn't give me what I hoped it would... How about you?"

"I'm beginning to think nothing will..."

You hum and realize that he was just a little further down the path that you were currently on. For his sake, you hope he's able to find the peace he needs at some point, and maybe it'll help you find yours...

Baekhyun's phone buzzes, pulling you from your thoughts. When he pulls it out and looks at it, multiple emotions flash across his face. Everything from happiness to heartache.

He slides his phone into his pocket and meets your curious gaze.

"Chanyeol's home..."

A small burst of happiness warms you before you remember that there are things Chanyeol doesn't know yet. Things like Kyungsoo's death and Sehun's possible one...

Baekhyun and you get up and head towards the living room where you could already hear the rumble of Chanyeol's deep voice. As you walk around the corner, you see the two of you are the last to arrive, and it doesn't escape your notice that Minseok and Jongin were on opposite sides of the room.

The next thing you notice is the wheelchair parked in front of you and the red hair of the person sitting in it. Chanyeol turns around as your footsteps come up behind him and his pale face lights up at the sight of two of his favorite people.

The two of you lock stares as everything comes crashing back around you. The man behind you, Chanyeol telling you to run, the gunshots that echoed off of the buildings, and the terror you felt at Chanyeol being gone.

You had mourned this man while you were being held captive by the Baem, yet here he was right in front of you, surviving the unthinkable.

Your name fell out of his mouth, and you closed your eyes, trying to keep the tears that wanted to come out in place. When you open them again, you find yourself dropping down next to his wheelchair and your arms wrapping around his bigger body.

You could feel yourself shaking, and he smelled like the hospital, but the moment was perfect.

"I thought you were dead..." You choke out.

"That's what I heard, but you should know how stubborn I am..."

A small laugh escapes you, and you pull back to look at him.

"It's going to take more than a couple of gunshots to get rid of me."

"Maybe let's not test that theory," Baekhyun says as he walks up behind you and clasps Chanyeol in his arms.

Chanyeol jokingly thought about it before saying, "Not anytime soon at least."  
"It's good to have you back, man."

"I'm glad to be home..." Chanyeol pats his friend's back before searching the room. "Where's the other two? Couldn't even greet me at the door?"

You immediately feel bile rising in your stomach. Oh god... You didn't think you were going to be able to witness this... You could tell that everyone was feeling the same way as you and that nobody wanted to break that news to him.

Chanyeol noticed the mood change in the room, and his joking expression fell from his face. "What happened?"

Baekhyun and you share a look before slowly getting up and moving back to your original positions. You glance over at your brother and see him close his eyes and take a deep breath before moving to sit on the wooden coffee table in front of Chanyeol.

Chanyeol watched him with wide eyes and visibly swallowed before sneaking a quick look at the other members. The air was so thick with tension, you felt rooted in your spot.

"Chanyeol..." Your brother slowly starts. "When the bombs went off... Kyungsoo was too close, and he was hit with some shrapnel... Yixing tried to save him, but... he didn't make it..."

"...Kyungsoo's dead?" Chanyeols asks in a quiet voice.

At your brother's confirmation, you see Chanyeol begin to zone out, trying to process what he was being told.

"But Kyungsoo... he wouldn't..." He furrows his eyebrows at the loss, before sitting up with determination. "Where's Sehun?"

"Chanyeol..."

"Where is he? I need to talk to him. He built those bombs. He probably thinks it's his fault." Chanyeol's voice begins to rise, and a panicked look enters his eyes.

"Calm down, Chan - "

"No! Where is he?!"

Chanyeol frantically looks around the room, searching the other member's gazes. When some of them refused to make eye contact, Chanyeol started to sink in his seat. He whipped his head around to you and Baekhyun, his two closest friends next to his cousin.

You knew Baekhyun was better at hiding his feelings than you were. Just like you knew your face was giving everything away because the minute Chanyeol locked in on you, he tilted his head almost like he was going to shake his head no before his shoulders slumped.

"No..." He whispers, staring at you. "No... No, no, not him..."

His eyes quickly start to tear up, and you felt the burning behind yours as you tried your best to hold your own back.

"Please, not Sehun..."

"I'm sorry, Chanyeol..." Your brother quietly tells him.

Chanyeol drops his head in his hands and lets out a sob that you never want to hear again. You almost stepped forward to go comfort him, but suddenly you felt Baekhyun grab the back of your shirt to hold you still.

You look over at him in confusion, but all he gave you was a shake of his head. Why did he not want you to comfort Chanyeol?

You look back at Chanyeol and watch as Junmyeon puts a gentle hand on his knee in an attempt to comfort him. "I need you to listen to me..."

Chanyeol quiets down his sobs and looks up at the leader. His face was beet red and wet with tears, but he tried to hold himself together. Junymeon takes a breath as soon as he realizes Chanyeol is listening and dives in.

"We don't know what happened to Sehun..."

Chanyeol froze, and you could tell at this point he wasn't even breathing before a cold look slid over his features.

"What the fuck. Do you mean. You don't know what happened?" Chanyeol ground out.

"We couldn't find his body..."

You unwillingly gasp at the sheer bluntness of his words, but quiet yourself because what else was Junmyeon supposed to say?

"Bangtan went back to the warehouse to search through the remains, but the only bodies left were unidentifiable."

Chanyeol's face began to turn even redder, and now you understood why Baekhyun held you back. Chanyeol was going to lose his shit.

Your brother tried to quickly get everything out because you all knew that this time, once Chanyeol lost it... He might not find his way back.

"They're doing a more thorough check right now and checking to see if anybody had gotten out and escaped, but it's not looking good..."

"You don't know where his body is?"

"We’re sampling the DNA of the ones who were left behind, but it could take a while."

Chanyeol glared at Junmyeon before abruptly standing up and throwing his wheelchair to the side. He let out a loud scream before dropping to the floor in pain. You didn't know if it was physical or emotional pain, but he laid on the ground screaming and sobbing. His arms wrapped around themselves, and he lightly rocked on the ground.

Tears streamed down your face, as well as the other members, and you finally feel Baekhyun let your shirt go. You watch as he goes over to Chanyeol and sinks down to the floor next to him before pulling the bigger man up into his arms the best he could.

He held Chanyeol tightly as tears slid down his own face before he looked over at you, silently telling you it was okay to join them.

You quickly went to the two men and threw your arms around Chanyeol. His body shook, almost violently, and you did your best to hold him.

You look up at your brother, who could only meet your stare with sadness, as he laid a hand on Chanyeol's arm and did his best to comfort him in his own way.

The rest of the members either rubbed Chanyeol's arm or pat his head as they walked out, leaving him to grieve without an audience. Yixing stayed behind and attempted to check on Chanyeol's wounds, but he had a hard time doing it.

Eventually, Chanyeol's cries quieted down, but none of you moved. You all stayed together to give Chanyeol support, and it was a long night...

The days that followed only got worse.

Chanyeol receeded from everyone, and when he did have contact with one of you, he was volatile. Almost mean. You knew he was lashing out and attempting to make others feel the pain he felt, so you tried to let it go, but it still hurt. You were deeply worried for him when he would disappear from the compound for hours on end, and you seldom saw him sober.

The situation wasn't any better between Jongin and Minseok. The two avoided each other like the plague. You knew they would need time after everything that happened, but you worried too much time would cause irreparable damage.

Jongdae and Yixing were still dealing with the loss of Kyungsoo. One in pain because he had lost his best friend. The other because he failed to save the life of one of his members.

The compound was shrouded in darkness, and you were also worried about your brother, who was watching all of the people he cared about crumpling into shells of human beings. Yes. The next few days sucked.

Baekhyun and you clung to each other because there was no one else to be around. Both of you tried to help the others, but you could only help someone who wanted to be helped.

The two of you grieved for the losses and Baekhyun had his own issues to deal with and work through like his sister, so you tried to be there for him also.

Baekhyun often told you to stop trying to be a therapist. He could see how drained and exhausted you were from trying to help everyone, and eventually, you did...

However, there was still one thing left to do. Something that you thought all of you needed to begin to heal, and something that you would be able to put all of your focus into instead of trying to fix those around you.

You were going to plan a memorial for Kyungsoo.

Even though you and Kyungsoo weren't close, he deserved to be remembered and to have his short life celebrated, and the men needed a chance to say goodbye to their brother. You knew none of them were in the headspace to plan anything, but you also had no idea how the mafia did funerals. Did they even say goodbye? Hold services? Do get-togethers?

Also, should you include Sehun? There was no body, and Bangtan were still searching leads, but he was MIA, and you knew Sehun would never leave Chanyeol behind if he were still alive...

After you sat on it for an hour or so, you took the idea to your brother, who had locked himself in his office hours ago and needed human interaction anyway. When you ran your idea by him, he nodded his head along at all the points he should've and you were beginning to wonder if he was hearing anything you were saying until he responded.

"I think it's a wonderful idea to do something for Kyungsoo... but I think we should hold off on adding Sehun to it... until we have more concrete proof..."

You nod, thinking that was the best course of action. "Have you heard from Bangtan at all?"

"They said they'd call when they got any information, but it's been a few days since I've heard from them... Anyway, I don't want you to focus on that. For now, focus on putting something together for Kyungsoo."

"Okay, but... I don't know what you guys normally do for this type of thing..."

Your brother unconsciously raised his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it, looking uncomfortable. "We have a couple of crematoriums under our control..."

Your mind blanked out. Not because you didn't know what he was talking about, but because what the actual fuck?

"You..." You close your eyes and sigh. "I'll process that later. Is there a certain place he would've liked..."

You trail off, and your brother smiles at your awkwardness. "How about you just plan something small for the backyard by the woods? It'll only be us, probably some Elders, and maybe some allies. Kyungsoo mostly kept to himself, so don't expect a huge turnout... Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be beautiful."

Ideas started sparking in your head, and you felt the first bit of life enter you. Ironic since you were dealing with the opposite. "Will you send out word to whoever needs to know, and I'll let the rest of the guys know?"

Once he nodded, you set off to begin making plans. You had never planned a memorial, nor have you ever been to one, but you were going to try to do your best for Kyungsoo and the rest of EXO.

When you told the others, you weren't the least bit surprised by the mixed reactions you got. Baekhyun thought it was a good idea, while Jongin and Minseok just, kind of, nodded at your words. Yixing stared at you with a broken smile telling you it was "nice" while Chanyeol rolled his eyes and slammed his door in your face, but it was Jongdae that surprised you the most.

"Can I help?"

His quiet question caught you off guard, but you quickly nodded. "Absolutely. You knew him better than anyone. I'd appreciate it."

The two of you spent a few days planning and making sure everything would be perfect, and, to your surprise, you found out you actually enjoyed Jongdae's company.

Getting his mind to focus on something he cared about was exactly what he needed to pull himself from the slump he had been in. You had been beginning to wonder if he would ever come back to EXO or if losing Kyungsoo would be it for him.

When it was time for the memorial, you put on a simple, black dress you found at a shop in town and made yourself presentable. You didn't care too much about what you looked like because this day had nothing to do with you. The only makeup you wore was to cover the faded bruising you had leftover from your time with the Baem, and that was it.

You made your rounds through the compound to make sure everyone was ready and dressed, mostly worrying about Chanyeol and Yixing and you were grateful when you found them all in black suits. Even if Chanyeol smelled like the inside of a strip club and refused to use his wheelchair even though he could still barely walk.

When you walked out the back door into the yard, you stopped dead in your tracks at the sight in front of you.

Your brother had put into your mind that the turnout would be small. The EXO members, some allies, and some Elders. Ballpark 20 to 25 people, but he was wrong... so wrong...

There were easily 60 people in your yard at the very least. They were... everywhere. You stared in amazement at the sea of bodies in front of you before turning to your brother, who was equally shocked.

"You told me, like, 20 people!" You whisper yell at him.

"That's what I was expecting!" He whispers back, eyes never leaving the guests.

"This is like triple that!"

Jongdae, who had walked up behind you and heard your conversation, says, "We definitely did not get enough food for this..."

Before you could begin to panic over his words, one by one the crowd began to notice the presence of EXO. You tried to sink your way into the back, but your brother grabbed your arm and kept you in place beside him. A lot of the eyes fell on you, the dead "princess" who apparently wasn't so dead after all, and you hated it.

Once they get a good look at you, they turn to Suho and slowly begin bowing. You used this opportunity to survey the crowd, and you noticed some familiar faces. You recognized Bangtan and you were slightly shocked to see almost every Elder had shown up, which you had a feeling your brother hadn't expected that.

Your brother bowed back and then walked the rest of the way into the yard, with some of the EXO members following him out. You stay where you are and ask Baekhyun and Jongdae, who had stayed behind with you, who on Earth all these people were.

"Allies of EXO... Not all of them, but it looks like most groups sent a couple of people to pay their respects."

"Wow... How many allies do you guys have?"

Baekhyun smirks. "Enough."

You hear Jongdae take a breath from your left, and you look over at him. "What's up?"

He nods his head toward a small group off to the side. "That's Kyungsoo and I's original gang... from when we were in high school. I don't think either of us has talked to them in years..."

He looked like he wanted to walk over to them, but his feet wouldn't let him, so you nudged him with your shoulder. You smiled as he shot a death glare back at you, but he finally began to make his way over to them.

"You ready?"

"Nope." You shake your head at Baekhyun's question. No, you weren't even remotely ready for this.

"Well, time to pretend like you are." He responds while offering his arm out to you.

You take his arm and let him lead you out to the memorial, and the service that follows is beautiful. You stay behind and watch as all of the men say their goodbyes, and offer condolences to your brother and EXO. You are equally surprised when quite a few of them come up to you, introduce themselves, and offer condolences to you also.

After most of the guests leave, you notice your brother talking to Bangtan, and you knew they were telling him about Sehun. You were going to stay where you were, but that was when you noticed Chanyeol striding over to the group with purpose and way too fast for someone supposed to be in a wheelchair.

This would most likely end in disaster, and you weren't the only one to feel it. The other EXO members noticed the movement, and you all quickly took off in the same direction.

Chanyeol reached the group before the rest of you did, and you watched as he waved his arms wildly. You could see the look of remorse on some of Bangtan's faces, and that was when Chanyeol exploded.

"What do you mean you never found his body?!"

Junmyeon was telling Chanyeol to calm down as you reached the group, but there was no chance that was going to happen.

"Calm down?! Did someone tell you to calm down when they told you she was dead?!" He yells at the leader while gesturing at you.

Your brother's eyes went cold, either at the memory or his words, you couldn't tell, but his next words were frigid. "You need to calm down, or you need to leave."

You knew the second those words left Junmyeon's mouth, things changed. A shift happened, and the smallest light in Chanyeol's eyes, the only one left, diminished before he let out a dead laugh.

"I got it. Now that your real family is back, it's fuck the rest of us. You don't care that Sehun is gone. You probably don't even care that Kyungsoo is dead."  
Your brother opened his mouth in anger, but Chanyeol cut him off.

"Don't worry. I'll leave. I guess Sehun and I were never really wanted here anyway."

You could see the look of disbelief on EXO's faces and the awkwardness on Bangtan's as he walked away. Your brother was seething, probably because all this happened in front of another group, showing one of EXO's weaknesses, but it was only Chanyeol you cared about right now. Deep down, you knew he didn't truly feel that way and that he just felt helpless and scared. Somewhere inside, he knew they were doing everything they could to find Sehun.

You quickly excused yourself and took off after Chanyeol, but he was already gone, and not just out of sight gone. By the time you got to the front of the house, Chanyeol was throwing his car in reverse and flooring it down the curvy driveway. You felt your stomach drop. He wasn't in the right mindset to drive, and who knows where he was even going.

Footsteps reach your ears, and you turn to see Baekhyun walking up behind you. "Where's Chan?"

You turn back to the door without saying anything.

"He really left?" He asks before saying, "This is bad..."

"Where would he go?"

"I can think of a couple places, but you're not going to like the answers."

Voices fill the air as the other men made their way into the house. Baekhyun and you went to the living room where the other members were, while Junmyeon and Minseok said goodbye to Bangtan. You all stayed silent, processing the day's events while you waited for the leaders to come back. Once they did, Junmyeon immediately turns to you and asks where Chanyeol is.

"He's gone."

Junmyeon sighs and looks over to find you staring at him. Wearily, he says, "Don't."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're staring at me with that disappointed look on your face. It had to be said. I can't let other groups see us fall apart. Allies or not."

"I understand why you did it, which is why I didn't bring it up."

Your brother lets out another sigh before wiping his hands down his face. "I'm sure you all heard, but Bangtan couldn't identify Sehun's body."

"Now what?"

"They searched the entire area and followed any leads they could find, but there's nothing... The only bodies still left at the warehouse are the unidentifiable ones that they already took bone and tissue samples from."

Curious, you ask, "There's no other way to identify them?"

"They removed every other source of DNA." Minseok answers you quietly.

"They removed... The Baem?! You mean they went back and dismembered those bodies?!" You loudly say as it dawns on you what they were getting at without so many words.

At Minseok's nod, you felt bile rising up your throat. Oh my god, those bastards. You felt Baekhyun put a comforting hand on your back, but it barely helped you calm the racing thoughts in your head.

Was Sehun one of those bodies? Did they do all of that to him? Even worse, if he wasn't one of those bodies, did they take him? Where was he?

Anger washed through you at those thoughts. You refused to believe any of that happened to Sehun. He didn't deserve any of that, and if the Baem did take him or disfigure his body, you would kill them all yourself.

"I do care about them..." Your brother quietly says into the silence, throwing all of you off track. "Sehun and Kyungsoo. The fact that they're not here with us kills me..."

"We know... and Chanyeol knows that too. He's just hurting." Jongin says softly.

"...And just because my sister's back doesn't mean I care about you guys any less. You're my family. My brothers. I'm nothing without you."

Minseok puts a hand on Junmyeon's shoulder. "We love you too. Now quit with the sappy shit. We need to think about what we're going to do."

Your brother's confession was calming the anger you were feeling, but Minseok's words brought you out of that temporary calm immediately. No matter what the guys thought, you refused to believe Sehun was dead. You knew you were in denial, but you couldn't help it.

There was no body, and your own brother ended up still being alive... There was a chance, but the odds were so high against Sehun... and finding your brother had been sheer luck.

You stand up, causing the attention to fall on you. "I'm just going to step outside and clear my head for a moment."

"Do you want company?" Yixing sweetly asks you.

You throw your hands up before anyone could even think to move. "No, thanks."

You quickly exit out the door into the backyard and take a deep breath of the fresh air. Your mind raced with thoughts of Sehun, Chanyeol, your brother, Baekhyun, all of them, and not to mention the Baem members who escaped. It was almost too much. You felt like you were suffocating.

Getting revenge on the Elders was supposed to make things clearer for you. It was supposed to help you move on from your parent's deaths, and while it helped a little, you still felt wrong. Confused. Empty.

Was there something wrong with you?

Staring at the area where the memorial was held, you try to calm yourself down. You would never be able to heal and figure out your problems if you were spazzing out.

Okay. Deep breath.

Sehun. Finding him or his body was the absolute top priority.

Chanyeol. Chanyeol is grieving the only way he knows how. Until he wants help, you have to accept that.

Yixing, Minseok, Jongin, and Jongdae. They were all dealing with their own grief and problems, and all you can do is be there for them.

Your brother. He was doing his best to try to keep everything and everyone together, so you will try your best to help him with whatever he needs.

Baekhyun. Somewhere along the way, he had created his own space inside of you. Maybe it was when he stuck up for you or kept your secrets. Maybe it was while you were being held by the Baem, or maybe it was after the death of Kyungsoo, but he had always been there for you. Accepting you as you were.

Lastly, the Baem. While EXO took out two of their leaders and made a big dent in their foundation, two of the other monsters were still out there, and that thought made your blood boil. The fact that they were still breathing wasn't okay with you, and deep down, you knew that was sort of messed up, but you didn't care.

The possibility that they could always wreck their way into your life again wasn't something you could live with, so you were going to do something about it.

The hairs on the back of your neck began to stand up, and a weird feeling crept over your body. The feeling that someone was watching you slammed into you. Hard. You kept your body still, but your eyes scanned the treeline.

Someone was out there.

Someone was watching you.

...Or maybe you made yourself too paranoid... Maybe it was all in your head?

You blow out the breath you didn't realize you were holding and turn to go into the house. Jongdae has cameras everywhere. He'll know if someone is out there, and you'll ask him privately because Junmyeon didn't need the distraction if it was all in your head.

When you rejoin everyone in the living room, the topic of conversation had switched to the Baem, so you settle yourself back down in the seat you had vacated and listen intently.

"We need to wipe out the rest of them. Punish them and show the rest of the mafia world that we're not weak, and we're not to be messed with."

Jongdae quickly agrees with Jongin's comment. "We let them get too much of an upper hand on us, and we can't let other groups get the idea that they can do the same."

"Plus, we need to avenge Kyungsoo and Sehun, for all of our sakes." Baekhyun strongly states.

Your brother nods at their comments. "Alright, we'll begin planning tomorrow. Today is Kyungsoo's day. In the meantime, Y/N - "

"No."

Your brother looks taken aback before he furrows his eyebrows. "No, what?"

"You're not going to give me something else to do while the rest of you plan and take action against the Baem. I want in."

Every male in the room immediately began protesting. "It's too dangerous", "you shouldn't be dragged into this dark part of the world", "we'll handle it" were among the shouts, and you were surprised that you could get any more pissed off than you already were. Your brother's voice rose over the rest.

"You're not getting any more involved with this, and that's final."

You felt your eyebrows nearly raise to your hairline. "Oh, is it? I'd think very carefully before you fucking speak, Junmyeon."

He met your hard stare with one of his own. "You're still innocent. You don't have what it takes to take out another group, and I will not lose my sister again."

"I don't have what it takes?!" You shout, rising up from your seated position. "You don't know anything about me! You don't know the shit I've had to deal with and go through while you got to play around with your mob money! This involves me as much as it involves you, and if you keep trying to act like my fucking keeper, you're going to lose me anyway. I promise you that."

Junmyeon flinched at your words but held his ground until Yixing stepped in.

"Okay, I think we need a breather. Why don't we- "

"Our parents were brutally murdered in front of me. Not you. You weren't there to endure the hell the Baem caused that night. After that, I was abandoned, and when I was put with a foster family, they beat me and burned me with their cigarettes. That not enough for you? How about when I was kidnapped and beaten to a pulp by the Baem? I want to hurt them as much as they've hurt me, and if you're not going to help me, then you can get the fuck out of my way."  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The memorial was beautiful. There were more guests than he had expected, and the groups that did show up were... informative...

He hid in the darkened shadows of the trees and observed everything. The guests, the EXO members, you.

It was clear there was an internal struggle within EXO and that they were working alongside Bangtan on something. He would have to keep an eye on that.

The man shifted in the trees, careful not to make a sound. As everyone filtered back into the compound, he thought his watch was done, but much to his surprise, someone came back outside.

You.

He leaned against the trees and studied you as you stood on the patio. Clearly, you were working through some things mentally. You were distracted and would be easily attainable if that had been his priority coming here.

He moved away from the tree to take his leave but paused when he noticed your sudden stillness. Interesting.

He watched as you scanned the treeline. You were aware of another presence. Of someone watching you.

Good.

You'll need to be ready for what's to come.


End file.
